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A conversation with a lady in the Netherlands reminded me that although our world feels small sometimes, it is a vast planet and our "to-do" lists vary immensely from one country to the next. Her vision of a Canadian autumn was one of colourful leaves carpeting the forest floor and lacy branches reaching to the sky. It was romantic and lovely, but only partially true. I told her that I refer to this time of year as "busy ants" time. We scurry around, adding chores to our already plentiful list, much like ants deciding what to devour first at an...

The current preferences in the art world are for large paintings that fill the wall behind a couch, in bold, electric colours. This has to do with trends in modern architecture as well, with massive floor to ceiling windows in the "Great Room", used for entertaining. When someone asks why my paintings are small, the first answer I give is that they are the perfect size to fit on a desk or in a tiny nook on a shelf. There are other reasons as well; I paint "alla prima", which is all in one go, so a smaller canvas can...

Artists are mesmerized by colour. We swirl it on the palette and stare at the patterns it makes. I was recently given some Canadian handmade paint from the Stoneground Paint Company by one of my dearest friends. (Thank you, Bronwen!). I was swirling some incredible Manganese Violet on a natural palette: a pearlescent shell collected from the shore by her lovely daughter. (Thank you, Indy!).  There is evidence that Van Gogh, in his passion for colour or perhaps due to his mental illness, squeezed paint from the tube directly into his mouth; the bright yellow pigment staining his copper coloured...

There is a quote on my desk written in Sharpie marker: "Writer's Block is a phony, made up, BS excuse for not doing your work." It's from Jerry Seinfeld, one of my comedic heroes. I love philosophy. Some "old friends" are Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus, who have been with me most of my life and continue to inspire me. On my own personal creative journey however, it's the Masters of Comedy who lead the way. I read their books and plays, watch their stand up routines, listen to every interview with them that I can find. The common denominator is...

Some things just rattle you. Many years ago, I stood at a desk, watching a famous watercolourist create magic in front of my eyes. What shook me was the fact that she used a FULL roll of toilet paper to remove excess water from her brush. I couldn't believe the waste; I didn't understand why someone capturing the beauty of nature wouldn't work to protect it rather than create more garbage in the name of art. John Muir Laws the naturalist, artist and educator is the person who explained ways to respect the natural world as you paint, especially outside....