Milkweed Burst Painting

Canadian Landscape Artist. Oil painting and large-scale paper works. Born in London, ON, Canada. Raised and currently living in Ottawa, Canada. Member of Enriched Bread Artists Studios in Ottawa, ON, Canada since 2000. My paintings are held in the City of Ottawa Public Art Collection, as well as many private, corporate, and public collections. They include the Canadian Medical Protective Association, Ottawa, Canada, Dr. Stephen M. Earle Dentistry, Ottawa, Canada, and Insight Talent Advisors Inc., Ottawa, Canada. My oil paintings on canvas are driven by ecological issues involving loss of habitat of pollinating insects, especially the Monarch butterfly. My nature-based themes include illusive qualities of water, sky, and land. They focus on the importance of protecting nature and, hence, our own existence on the planet. My paintings usually begin with a detail from my photos or sketches while walking in green spaces close to home or canoeing in the Canadian Shield. I use mainly palette knife to apply layers of oil paint to the stretched canvas. This technique creates active, lively surfaces that suggest shifting light and complex detail. My intention is to awaken a deep appreciation and awe for the wonders of nature.