About the work

From the series "Swell" Life comes in waves and all its crests and troughs; sometimes pounding and ominous and sometimes gentle and heartening. My art surfs my life experiences which have become my inspirations: my children, memories of growing up in Toronto, and watching local surfers doing their thing. For the surf series, my process begins at the beach armed simply with my camera, the Pacific and exquisite light. I meld into “surf voyeur” mode, fascinated by surf culture -- from surfer gangs to multi-generational surf families. I have learned to distinguish long-boards from short-boards, and I’m hip to favorite surf spots such as “The Wedge” and “Steamers Lane.” The artwork combines photography with brushy washes of inks. The prints are cropped to reveal only my experience, which is enhanced with paint to offer a new, hazier reality. The end result, I hope, is the view of a more peaceful world through my rose-tinted glasses.