To create my art, I need to spend hours sitting inside painting fine details on a canvas, but getting out into the world is just as vital to my process.

I enjoy hiking, visiting bird sanctuaries, standing at scenic lookouts, and other activities where I am surrounded by nature. It’s through these activities that I encounter wildflowers, native birds and elusive animals.

My work can be inspired by nature that I encounter by chance in towns and cities, where I spend most of my life. It’s been inspired by what I’ve found in front yards, in neighbourhood parks, and what’s living in the trees that line our streets.

Each subject can inspire me in different ways. It might catch my attention because it is visually beautiful, with a pleasing arrangement of shapes, textures and colours. Maybe it triggers a positive response in me by making me calm, happy or excited. It might be something less tangible and based in deep emotion, like reminding me of my childhood or a loved one. These brief interactions help me better understand how I feel at that moment and how I interact with the world.  

I always carry a camera so I can document what I encounter – it’s not usually possible to sit and sketch something where I find it, and not appropriate to take something with me like nature artists did before photography.

During the hours I spend painting the subject, I can reflect on why the encounter was meaningful to me. The time alone painting recharges me and soon I gain the need to go outside again.