For more  than thirty five years we shape our island lives by deep desire to live fully our way.
Creative pursuit in every area of life becomes a deep questing commitment.
When did this purposefulness arise? What catalyst allowed it to blossom?

I trace back early remembrances dreaming of my love for our world, dancing, singing, expressing my love of nature and its landscape, people and diverse culture. I saw myself literally hugging our world.
It is the hands on, carving out, touching, holding, creating that is the thrill. We give our best to this new exciting life and purchase 10 acres of raw land on Salt Spring Island in 1991. We know our life is ours for the making. We begin the design then build our home ourselves. Duart teaches himself electrical, plumbing and framing, buys a sawmill, milling some 700 year old trees fallen from a windstorm for the beams, my studio and his workshop. The first summer was bliss our daughters lived in a tent, we in the workshop and a trailer for kitchen, outhouse in the bush. Winter we house-sit for friends, then move back to our land for the following summer. The house, studio, workshop, paddocks, barn, garden and fencing was complete in three years. Meanwhile Tara became an avid sailor racing “lasers” in Ganges Harbour with her old Lab Jody. Lauren with her menagerie of sheep, pig, duck, rabbit and beloved shetland pony spent most of her waking days caring for her animal friends and exploring the forests on Jake her pony. Our island life became the subjects of my paintings.  
In The Salt Spring Island Collection I document the land, heritage houses, ocean and gardens. Over the past 35 years we moved several times, including purchasing waterfront beach house where for 15 years boating paintings became a theme especially as we immersed into sail racing, exploring the nearby island on “DreamTime” our Grandbanks trawler and kayaking from our sandy beach. This coastal intimacy provided endless hours appreciating the magic of our waters. As our daughters grew up into young women exploring more of British Columbia, Duart and I purchased a small heritage farm in the south end of SSI. Sheep farming was all about us, gardens and the stunningly beautiful Ruckle Park almost at our doorstep. My paintings were inspired from the original settlers more than 150 years ago. Our 100 year old Red Farm House oozed history, my studio a tiny garret room under deep eves gave pastoral views and endless changing light. In 2015 we again moved this time to Vesuvius a westside beach community. For over ten years we have been renovating an original funky cottage surrounded trees and vines that still flourish from its previous gardeners. I feel the love they too had for this island as I garden my sanctuary along side deer, quail, and soaring eagles. The warmth and sun of the west side of Salt Spring as well the beach side neighbourhood gives us an expanded community I for years had shied from. Here in Vesuvius I am continually in awe and grateful for a neighbourhood of so many likeminded people. My art continues to expand as I document the antics of our three cats, my prolific garden and the warm sea light atmosphere that always thrills me.

Visit the Flower and Gardens collection for Valentine gift thoughts.