#FronlineFacesNL

A few weeks ago I was contacted by artist Rodney Mercer about a project he and Rebecca Cohoe had been working on, #FrontlineFacesNL. Local artists would offer free portraits to frontline workers in the province through a public Instagram post. This is such a wonderful idea to help celebrate our province’s workers.

My day job has allowed me to work from home during the quarantine, but I wouldn’t be able to do so if it wasn’t for the hard work and sacrifice of our front line workers. This project was open to all front line workers in the province, not just health care workers and for both professional and amateur artists. There has been such a wonderful cross section of Newfoundland art - from oil painters, to cartoonists, to textile artists, and everything in between.

I was paired with Dr. Jill Follett, an ER doctor in Corner Brook. I was especially excited to be paired with Dr. Jill as my father and her mother are both from the small town of Belleoram. This personal connection made it that much more meaningful to me.

To be honest, I was a little nervous about this project. I am not a portrait artist, I’ve done maybe two portraits in my career, but I knew I had to be a part of this. Art allows you see a subject at a more personal level, you get to know the subject intimately. Front line workers are sometimes invisible to the public - many do their jobs behind the scene and don’t ask for thanks or recognition. With these portraits they are being seen and thanked for everything they’ve done, and do.

The artists and workers involved in this project have also helped create a time capsule for this time. 2020 has been a rough year for most. While we will look back on this time and remember all of the hardships we’ve faced, we can also remember the good people did.

I’m thankful to have the opportunity to be a part of this project. To hear more about #frontlinefacesnl you can search the hashtag on Instagram. You can also listen to this interview I did with CBC along with Dr. Jill and Rodney Mercer.

New Year, New Painting

I've never been someone who has given themselves a New Years resolution. I've always believed that if there is something you want to change about yourself you shouldn't wait until some arbitrary date has passed. Why wait when you can start now? 

That being said, there is something to be said about a brand new year. I find that since we said goodbye to 2015 and hello to 2016 I've been invigorated with new creative energy. My fingers have been itching to hold a paint brush all week, and I knew that since my masters courses begin this evening (yikes!) I better harness that energy while I still have free time. 

If you're familiar with me or my work then you'll know that I usually paint fairly small pieces, usually around 6.5 x 11". However, in an effort to push myself stylistically I decided to paint something much larger. Twice as big in fact! Plus, my father gave me a beautiful sable round, size 16 brush for my birthday and I wanted an excuse to use it for the first time.

Recently I've been taking inspiration from antiques I've found in my parents home. For this painting  I selected an antique chess set.

My original plan was to lay down an initial wash of hookers green and cobalt blue for my darkest shadows follows by further washes of burnt siena - a very similar technique to what I used in my Keys still life. While I was pleased with the first wash, I was immediately disappointed by the addition of the second.

Although I initially tried to push through the painting I ultimately decided to abandon it and try again. Working mostly wet into wet I allowed the paint to flow freely down the page and into surrounding areas. While I'll be the first to admit that there are issues with this painting, I am pleased by the results. Currently the piece is untitled, (but taking suggestions!) if you're interested in purchasing it please feel free to contact me.

Two New Paintings

I have recently completed two new still lifes. Both were painted from life using objects found in my parent's home. Both paintings are available for purchase. They are unframed and prints will not be made of either image. By purchasing either painting you'll own a unique piece of art guaranteed not to be duplicated. Please contact me for more information! 

Welcome!

Thank you for visiting my artist's portfolio. This website will be used to exhibit my artwork as well as a platform where I will discuss my current projects. Most of the work displayed on this site is for sale. Please contact me for more information on prints and pricing.