The Meditation Series

Dreamwork is a vertical composition that evolved out of large Horizontal marks made on large sheets of paper in a game of mark making. My aim was to engage in the creative process.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” mixed media on watercolour paper. Matting, fits an 8” x 10” frame

5 1/2 “ x 7 1/2”, mixed media on water colour paper

Acrylic washes, text in paint, pencil and paint marker. This project was all about the process.

Archival matting to fit any 8” x 10’ frame.

5 1/2’ x 7 1/2” Mixed media on water colour paper.

This piece is part of the Vertical Horizontal group within the Meditatiuon Series.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2”, Mixed Media on water colour paper.

The series began on large sheets of paper with gestural horizontal marks. The process was about quiet moments with media.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” Mixed media included acrylic paint, gouache washes, pencil crayon, paint pen. Gestural marks evolve out of text intended as marks as opposed to becoming legible text.

A series of small works on paper devepoled out of the meditation process. It was all about creative play, designed to help me to be present within the creative process.

Part of The Meditation Series

51/2” x 71/2”archival matting to fit any 8” x 10” frame

At Pulse Gallery

5 1/2” x 7 1/2”, Acrylic, ink, paint pen on water colour paper. This piece is part of a sub set within the Meditation Series. Poppies blooming within view of the bunkhouse were their inspiration.

Large sheets were divided into multiple sections measuring 9” x 6”. This project was a meditative action, engagement with materials without an intention beyond process.

The finished pieces were matted to fit 8” x 10” frames with an archival window mat 5 1/2” x 7 1/2”

This piece DONATED to LTGLC United Way Fundraiser Nov 2023

A subset of poppy inspired pieces developed within view of my back garden at the cottage. Their cheeky personalities evolved despite my intention to make marks that were non representational.

Washes and glazes in acrylic paint and acrylic mat medium add to the layers that built up within individual parts of this series.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” on watercolour paper

At Pulse Gallery

Marks initiated shapes that referenced elements of the landscape. These elemental characters made their way out of the gestural game.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” mixed media on water colour paper

I began without any intention other than to become present with materials. The small size felt manageable…until they multiplied and multiplied and the series became 80 pieces over the summer.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” mixed media on water colour paper

This piece feels like a cabin in the woods, constructed by local materials collaged together. Spiral note book off cuts, acrylic paint, chalk pastel, pencil crayon, acrylic glazes, paint pen.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” on water colour paper

As a landscape painter, my natural instincts created landscape compositions out of gestuaral marks on surfaces, large and small.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” on watercolour paper

archival matting to fit all 8” x 10” frames

Collage and chalk pastel feature in this little landscape that evolved out of multi media marks. It feels lika a summer reflection.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” on water colour paper

archival matting to fit any 8” x 10” frame

Marks inferred personal meaning or became a visual descriptor. Darks and lights merged to divide this space into landscape sections that appeared under an active prairie sky.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” on watercolour paper. Mixed media

The project was called the meditation series because engagement with materials was my primary goal. Being present in the creative process merged my written meditation practice with art making media. Text became part of the fabric of the pieces, embedded into the narative but not intended to be legible.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” mixed media on water colour paper

At Pulse Gallery

Marks and the making, art making as process. I used watery acrylic glazes, and dry brushing on this piece. Text was added with liquid acrylic and a wet flippy brush. Chalk pastel was adhered with workable fixative.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” on watercolour paper

This piece was inspired by the magic of the prairie; grassland hissing and quivvering at the discretion of the breeze, intense colour, glare and warmth.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” on watercolour paper

archival matting to fit any 8” x 10” frame

The poppy has been a subject in my work for many years; a vehicle for colour. Marks in this series took on a personality of their own. Some are abstract while others become more descriptive.

Poppy subset, 5 1/2” x 7 1/2” on water colour paper

Small works on paper archivally matted. This piece belongs to a subset that evolved to evoke perennials in my cottage garden.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” window fits any 8” x 10” frame

SOLD

I don’t grow holly hocks in my cottage garden..but I’d like to. This little mixed media piece on water colour paper might be heralding future horticultural plans?

Acrylic pens were the final media used in this body of work. Their discovery allowed me to add highlights and small marks on a multi layered surface that would no longer accept the subtleties of pancil crayon.

5 1/2” X 7 1/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

Archival mat, to fit any 8” x 10” frame

At Pulse Gallery Winnipeg

Aquamarine acrylic was applied generously to large sheets of watercolour paper to lay the foundation of what would become a subset within this meditation series. Large sheets were cut into sections, placed on a vertical axis to experiment with the interplay of vertical and hoirizontal alignment.

This project was all about play, being present and engaging with materials without any attachment to outcome.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper

A stencil made from off cuts of a spiral bound calendar made for a meditative pause using pencil crayon. Each piece I worked on in that sitting dictated the colour choice while using the same media in the same way

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

Some pieces in the series quickly evolved into landscape. I love the orange in the sky in this piece

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper

Chalk pastel became a major focus in this piece. Spraying the chalk layer with workable fixative outdoors was attractive to wasps. I limited my use of chalk pastel after that interraction.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper

It really was a blessing to be able to spend time being present with materials. I zoned out to zone in on this project and was surprised by the results at the end of the summer.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper, 2023

I love the way painted text has evolved to become simply a motif in this little gem.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

Text became part of the embedded narrative, a layer within the mixed media surface. Last marks here were made with acrylic pen. Words became motif not intended to be legible.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

Text became part of the embedded narrative, a layer within the mixed media surface. Last marks here were made with acrylic pen. Words became motif not intended to be legible.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

Chalk Pastel takes a key role in this little mixed media work on paper. I was inspired by contrasts and compliments as this composition developed.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

At Pulse Gallery

The marks on this little piece led the way to a vertical composition from the very beginning.

51/2” x 71/2” on watercolour paper.

Sometimes less can be more. I loved the simplicity of the marks on this surface and removed it from the project in time to preserve some of those subtleties.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

Colour and text feature in this little composition. Despite working without an intention for an outcome a landscape format developed.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

At Pulse Gallery

Colour speaks multiple languages in this multi media piece.

The Meditation Series developed several subsets as the summer progressed. This one leaned into a horizontal orientation early. Opaque ink drips became problematic, then a feature.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

At Pulse Gallery Winnipeg

The rhythm of rows of squares made with a stencil was a motif I applied to most surfaces. marks were made in penciul and paint.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

At Pulse Gallery Winnipeg

I made square marks by using the off cuts of a spiral bound notebook as a stencil. Some of those stencil pieces were later collaged into surfaces.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

At Pulse Gallery Winnipeg

This piece has colour, texture, and movement. It is the accumulation of the many layers of creative play made over a season.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper

This little composition retains the subtlety many of the early pieces lost as I added marks without an intention for a finished product. I added more sheets to the project to solve my overpainting tendencies.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed medeia on watercolour paper.

Naming a large group of small works can be a challenge in itself. This one felt like a patch of sunlight in the last hours of the day.

51//2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

Text was first added to handmade textured tissue that was then torn and added to surfaces with mat medium. Find remnants of those early marks in the foreground here.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

At different stages in the process some pieces were literally, a hot mess. I tried to leave my judgement at the door. I love how this piece evolved.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

At Pulse Gallery

Riches is so named partly to describe the many layers of mark making this little surface received. She bares the riches of colour, texture and media.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

The central yellow acrylic “glob” in this composition was one of the first marks on this surface. I still love its intensity.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

The landscape on the route between my city studio and the cottage is vast and flat. The sky takes on infinite personalities while the earth divides itself into utilitarian quadrants.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

The title Strata reflects the many layers of materials used in production. I love the balance between warm and cool, light and dark.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

At Pulse Gallery

This little oasis draws me in quite literally. The composition was finished several times. Each consecutive decision brought it to this point.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

Stencilled details ifeature in this composition. Marks were made with pencil crayon, chalk pastel and acrylic and ink washes.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

The name trance was allotted to this piece in part because marks were often added while I sheltered within my personal meditative practice.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

On the prairies a train can be miles long and all traffic needs to yield. Yeild also refers to the sheer volume of crops primary producers harvest here.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

At Pulse Gallery Winnipeg

Most of the 80 small pieces in the Meditation Series began with swarths of colour in acrylic or ink. Some pieces have retained these gestural marks.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

This little composition earned its name from the combination of crops grown on the prairies and its energetic vibe.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

The Meditation Series developed several subsets as the summer progressed. This one leaned toward landscape early. Remnants of text became a forground motif.

At Pulse Gallery

Chalk pastel dominates the foreground. Early collaged text inverted becomes a rhythmic series of marks.

Contrasting colour is a theme in my work. Contrasts here are inverted yet still read as divisions in a landscape.

The deep rich greens and blues balance nicely with the strong and earthy reds. This landscape could be anywhere and no where.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on water colour paper.

My personal meditative process involves handwritten dictation that shares the wisdom my souls seeks. Last marks were made in paint pen in layers. Words become part of the embedded narrative.

51/2” x 71/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.

At Pulse Gallery Winnipeg

Chameleons is an apt description of the energetic players that bounce in and out of view in my lakeside garden. Dense and overpopulated, I love a little wild.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

I love to play with contrasts, colours opposite on the colour wheel. The intensity of that fuchsia against that aqua blue..mmmm.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

At Pulse Gallery

This little piece is an example of the vertical horizontal subset that evolved as this meditative project continued through the summer.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

Each day I worked on this series I held one type of media in my hand at a time. I applied those marks to many or all of the pieces until I ran out of time or energy.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

I have often imagined local topography as a series of marks. I used various marks and media to define or suggest, space, shapes and divisions in the landscape.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

An ocean of earth flows with cobalt and brilliant blue in both the forground and background.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

At Pulse Gallery

The loose typographical marks made with washy liquid acrylic and a long bristled thin brush are remnants of a personal meditative narrative.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolouir paper.

In midsummer double decker trains laden with raw materials snake their way into the distance. They can easily fill the view.

51/” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

I appreciate the softness of this mellow little composition. Lemon limes and powder blues balance the warmth of distances pinks.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

The repetition of marks made with differnt media on subsequent visits added to the complexity of surfaces.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

Variety is the spice of life. Last marks made with acrylic paint pens helped to break up the density of blue.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

Harvst fills skies with dust that adds all kinds of colour to twilight. The rhythm of the light blue stencilled squares balance pink and green contrasts.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

This littel composition balances diagonals and horizontals. It feels like a crossroads where contrasts merge peacefully within the energetic marks that describe space.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

This project was all about process. Surfaces grew more complex as each set of marks was added. Some themes developed. The interplay of vertical and horizontal is apparent in this piece.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

At Pulse Gallery

Sometimes it is a single mark in a painting that is necessary for the composition to work. Fuchsia chalk pastel combined with spilt opaque ink feel necessary to me here.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper.

Collaged stencil stretched out to create a horizon line in this example of being present in the creative process.

The application of mixed media is loose and free in this little composition where chalk pastel and remnants of text dominate.

Part of the Meditation Series

51/2” x 7 1/2”, mixed media on watercolour paper

DONATION TO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

I engaged in the creative process with materials over the course of an entire summer. I tried to be intentional about being unintentional. These compositions found their own ways to distinguish themselves within the group. This one embraces a little elemental magic.

51/2” x 71/2”, mixed media on wtercolour paper.

5 1/2” x 7 1/2” mixed media on watercolour paper.


Creative play was the goal for this project that sought to find presence by engaging with materials on a surface. I used only one type of mark on multiple pieces each time I revisited this project.

Part of The Meditation Series. Archival Matting to fit any 8” x 10” frame