Short answer – Life. It ebbs and flows, shifts and changes and I adjust. It only makes sense that with major life changes, my work also changes.

Longer answer. I spent my entire corporate career as a graphic designer (creative problem solver) and I moulded to the needs of others. I was trained to solve the client brief, not understand my story. Even when I did art as a side hustle, it was more for skill growth than deep storytelling. When I decided to become a full-time artist I had to adapt – to not burn out I needed to understand myself and what I wanted to say. I’ve moved to more abstract work as I feel it’s more challenging and that fire gets me out of bed each and every morning.

For a long time, I thought my graphic design background and fine art could not cross over. I left corporate design due to burnout so I needed a break from that world – but when I sat down and thought about the aspects of that skill set I enjoy, data visualization came up repeatedly. Plus, why would I give up over 20 years of skills in an area I was very successful? So, in a way, design became a starting point for the new work – my process now combines many digital and analog processes.

My art has always focused on environmental topics like global warming, so weather data came to mind initially. Data gives me a focus – my design brief if you will. It’s broad, but a focus point, nonetheless. Also, data is infinite, so even if I want to shift, I can use other data sets and accomplish a similar result. It gives me a set of variables I can adjust over time without needing a wholesale change in the output.

Side benefit, it’s wonderful for commissions. I can take any date and create custom artwork from it [see commission question below for more].

I do a lot of research on extreme weather events. For example, my ‘Unless’ collection uses extreme weather events that occurred in 2023 from across Canada. I pull a month of temperature data from the closest airport to the event. The data looks like a bunch of squares, grouped in bursts or lines, colour-coded (red/hot to blue/cold). I [hand] draw overtop of this dataset, connecting the colours, in my flowing, curvy style, creating a bunch of protozoic shapes I then digitize and use to create cloud-like compositions. These elements are my building blocks. They can be arranged to become a multitude of visual outputs at any scale. Cut acrylic wall pieces, murals, sculpture, tile – the options are endless. Then my materials take over to tell the rest of the story…

This question was asked about my cloud formation wall pieces. My early art career was heavily focused on glass (and therefore what I’m known for) so viewers think the acrylic pieces should be glass but it’s not like any glass they’ve encountered, so confusion and curiosity tends to ensue. When I decided to change my visual output to this more abstract work, I realized calling myself a glass artist didn’t encapsulate all the materials I was using. I am, in fact a mixed media artist (always have been). So, I made myself a set of guidelines for my work and one was to include ‘glass-like’ materials in everything I create to retain that tie to my past.

I believe in the right tool for the job and glass is heavy and fragile, so when I developed the wall pieces, I moved to using acrylic sheets as my base. One third of the weight, very strong, and can be worked similarly to glass. I use adapted sign painting techniques like reverse painting, gilding and osmalto on the acrylic, further creating the illusion that the work is made of glass. I still utilize crushed glass in these pieces as the ‘glitter’ and I have plans for glass in future work, but I’m more attached to how glass interacts with light than the material itself. So ‘glass-like’ materials tend to be things that transmit, absorb or reflect light.

So long story short, my materials vary depending on what the work calls for. The wall pieces are made with an acrylic base sheet, a variety of paint, resin and window vinyls as well as crushed glass. I also weld, do ceramics, electroform copper and have some basic woodworking skills to name a few…

Borrowed from the internet: “Materiality refers to the physical substances that artists use to bring their visions to life. It encompasses everything from paint and canvas to clay, metal, fabric, and beyond. The choice of material is not arbitrary; it plays a vital role in the artistic process and the outcome. Each material possesses unique properties, textures, and capabilities, allowing artists to convey their intended message with depth and nuance.

Materiality is not just about selecting a medium; it is about understanding how the material itself can contribute to artistic expression. The texture of a brushstroke, the weight of a sculpture, or the transparency of a glass piece – all these elements create a sensory experience for the viewer. By harnessing the power of materiality, artists can engage the senses and evoke a range of emotions, making their artwork more impactful and meaningful.”

My glass and ‘glass-like’ materials give a nod to my past work but also work with light. The pieces change in different lighting situations, capturing a feeling of magic, joy, possibility and hope. These light-adaptive elements can be both the positive and the negative in my narrative. Upon first glance the work may seem happy and elicit those feeling mentioned above, but it also sparkles and shines like diamonds (an opulence), giving a nod to human excess and overconsumption. I lean toward translucent and reflective elements, so I can layer them creating depth and additional colours depending on the angle of view. Artworks in the home are not just seen head-on, you may be sitting in the dining room looking over at a wall piece in the living room, so I want that piece to have various states of being. Also, morning light is far different than positioned track lighting in the evening for example – like a sunrise, my work changes throughout the day – they have personality. I think this aspect sets my work apart from anything else out there.

Texture is the only way I can capture the ‘rest’ of the materials I use. I try to emulate textures in nature utilizing man-made materials. Or I break down various materials and then create a texture or feeling of another material. This can create a bit of confusion for the viewer as they aren’t sure what the material is or confuse it for something else. A good example of this is my glass tile work. I make them with reclaimed glass that has been reduced to a powder state (think icing sugar consistency), but the end result looks more like cement or ceramic, causing the viewer to question what they see. This is another narrative in my work – beware of the message you are given. Working in marketing and communications makes me keenly aware of how media is composed and delivered, but most of the population takes it at face value.

I could go on for days about all the materials and the why, the how. If there is something in a piece you want to know about – send me an email or ask me at a show and I’ll gladly chat your ear off about it.

This need for narrative justification stems from my graphic design background. Early in my career, my mentor challenged me to justify every element of a project. “Why is that line there, what purpose does it serve?” She was trying to reign in my overly complex designs (common in young designers) and help me understand how beautiful simplicity is. But to do simplicity well, each element needs a purpose. That has translated into the materiality aspect of my work – on the computer I only had to justify the visual elements, in a 3D world I now feel the need to explain the materials as well as the composition.

Another great learning from my design world is that each person will engage with content/meaning/story differently. Some folks like long-format copy whereas others like quick facts and figures.  If you create work with multiple access points, viewers can engage where they are comfortable. Abstract work can be a bit more difficult to understand, so why not give the viewer more to connect with?  You can enjoy my work just as a beautiful abstract and/or you can learn about the data set and environmental message and/or you can get deep into my process and materials. I hope these layers of meaning allow for a larger connection with more people, increasing my audience and perhaps engaging folks who would normally not be interested in abstract work.

I’ve been self-represented throughout my career, but I’m now at a place where I require a gallery partnership. I’m currently putting together a large collection of my cloud form works and then I’ll be looking for a few galleries in Canada and the US. The best way to keep informed is by signing up for my newsletter [sign-up] and following me on [Instagram] for updates.

Don’t worry, the sculpture work will be coming back. Due to my visual shift, I’m in a place where I need to rebuild my portfolio and there are only so many hours in a day. I’m focused on the wall art and a recycled tile project for the remainder of the year, then I’ll be creating a concept portfolio for public art and sculpture to assist in securing a few larger projects. Next year I want to get a few murals or window installations (vinyl) in the portfolio as well.

Yes! I love commissions both corporate and personal. Send me an [email] and I can get you all the info to begin. I’m happy to have you out to my studio to show you the process and I can bring samples to your home or business to create the perfect piece.

I’ll ask you for a special date from your past and the why of that date. For a business that could be the day you signed the paperwork for the new office space or the incorporation date, it could even be the birthdays of the partners in the firm. For personal clients, the sky is the limit – a wedding anniversary, your child’s birth or the day you bought your forever home. As long as it’s special to you, we can create stunning artwork around it.

Did you know in Canada art can be a write-off for your business? There are many classes of depreciable assets, but the CRA includes art as a “Class 8” item. According to the CRA, Class 8 property depreciates at a yearly rate of 20%. This yearly value which is ‘lost’ can be deducted as a business expense. Talk to your accountant and then let’s get a show-stopping piece made for your office space!

There are no plans for future jewelry or glass animals unless it makes sense for me to include them in an installation or gallery project.

There are however a few remaining pieces out in the world. The Edmonton Craft Council and Black Spruce Gallery have some of my glass animals. The Leighton Art Centre has my remaining stock of acrylic jewelry that was made with my site-specific installation last year.

Soon! My current studio isn’t a viable space for classes, but I’m looking to upgrade and move my studio at some point in the next year. When that happens, classes are in the plans. I’m aiming for one or two classes a month of various themes/material. The idea being you can visit me many times over and learn something new.

If there is something specific you want to learn, shoot me an email with the form on this page and let me know!