When not trekking and drawing in far away lands, this Scottish/Canadian can often be found in her Etobicoke Studio Gallery painting or teaching. She has the experience of 2 fine arts degrees, from Glasgow School of Art in Scotland and University of Toronto in Canada; and about thirty years of making a living making art. Some of her other passions include flying (small planes), “playing” with really long ropes in high places and paddling. Life is never, ever dull around this lady, even her four sons agree!

“I love, but also need, to draw, to mix colours, and to paint!  I express my emotions, my spirituality, and my ever changing story through my work. In sharing some of it with you I become vulnerable, but human and “right sized”. My experiences in the mountains, the water and all my travels constantly change me. I believe my art reflects this.

In 2005 I was selected as the painter to represent Canada at Emaar International Art Symposium in the middle east. The United Arab Emirates invited painters and sculptors from over 50 different countries to come and work in Dubai for two weeks. In return, we left them all the art we created while we were there. Our paintings will be installed permanently in the world's tallest building, (in Dubai), which is now under construction.

We painted in and around a huge tent at the Marina where I created 6 finished paintings, one of them a 55x110" diptych! As my work progressed, exciting changes started happening.

I found myself drawing the buildings, doorways and shapes around me (as I always do), and became intrigued by the juxtaposition of the old city alongside this new emerging city surrounded by desert! This was reflected in my work as I restretched one of their gessoed canvases with raw canvas and started stain painting with sand colors; and actually using some of the real sand!

Their desert is red; and my canvas took on architectural shapes in orangey washes that sang!

When the canvas dried I used more than half a gallon of modeling paste, sculpting the unpainted parts of the canvas, then painting them in blues. There seems to be a blue haze over this whole city somehow. But my blues had to be dark, showing the intensity and impact this city has!

When that was dry I scumbled a little gold on some of the raised portions, because the streets are literally paved with gold in places here). Nothing is ever too simple in Dubai. There are wonderful little touches everywhere, and my painting felt like that!

I felt like I was on another planet. All the artists grew very close in that short time. Here everyone spoke the same language - that of art. We found most of us shared similar hopes, fears and dreams. We talked about techniques, ideas, galleries and projects - I learned so much and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have taken part in this Symposium. As I watched us all work I knew I belonged, and found it validated my work.

The Village Gallery in Port Credit had an exhibition of all the new work I created just 3 months after I returned. I shared the space with two other travelers. Our different ways of seeing and sensing our surroundings led to an incredible exhibition!

I am a spiritual creature with a very optimistic attitude. I have accomplished a lot in this short life span, and if I died tomorrow, would regret nothing – it has all made me who I am today. My visual autobiography is far from over!