My Journey

My artistic journey began in high school where I took my first art class and was first bitten by the theatre bug. While obtaining my MBA and pursuing career and family life, time was limited so I focussed on theatre. In the early years I loved acting but my involvement in theatre broadened in an unexpected way when my kids were still in primary school. 

We live in rural Ottawa South where children are bussed to school and there are limited recreational outlets for kids other than school sports. My kids were not sports oriented and had special needs. Social interaction and “team sports” was a challenge. And then the penny dropped. I created an inclusive theatre program for children. It was a match made in heaven, combining my business skills, my passion for theatre, and my deep concern for marginalized children.

Just Kiddin’ Theatre was born and operated for 15 years. For many of those years, my professional career was placed on the back burner while I dedicated myself to this labor of love. It was during this time that I learned how to produce, direct, teach, and write plays – all while making a difference to kids. Surprisingly, it was also an outlet for my visual arts interests! I loved painting scenery on enormous canvasses.

Painting had re-entered my life. Initially I was compelled to paint my fur babies. It was these portraits that led me to an interest in painting friends’ and family’s pets, and ultimately Portrait My Pet was born.

Now retired, I have more time and my painting has flourished. I am still on a journey, discovering techniques, colour, and seeing our world from an alternate perspective. My paintings are inspired by the forces of nature, or conversely, humanity’s force upon nature. Needless to say, my exploration of myself and our world provides ample material to nourish my artistic journey.