Welcome
I was born and grew up in a small mining town in British Columbia called Michel-Natel. It was a close knit multi-cultural community filled with innovative and hard working people who lived life to the fullest despite the dreariness that often accompanies working in the coal mines. I was fortunate to grow up surrounded by a family of musicians and artists who inspired my creativity – from a grandfather who masterfully played the fiddle to a mother who painted any surface available. As a young woman I was introduced to the fine art of muraling when the town commissioned an artist to paint murals in an attempt to revitalize itself. It was at that moment when my life’s passion was ignited.
I am a self taught artist who is one of the few muralists in the world who does not use a grid format nor, a projector to paint my murals. Rather, I approach the wall as I would a fine art painting; freehand. As I began to paint my first murals I realized that the painting of blank walls not only became a beacon to the youth who volunteered their services, but that the murals also attracted seniors and other members of the community, and thus created bridge of cultural healing. This bridging was recreated in each of the communities I worked in and I realized that murals could become the thread that ties a community together; a mural embodies the soul of a community and makes it visible and accessible to all. From this I developed a unique program where a series of murals could be painted in a youth based community collaboration that could become the catalyst to public art development.
Over the course of 20 years I have successfully implemented these youth based programs in communities all over the world. This original muraling format has included youth from all socio-economic levels and in particular those youth considered ‘at risk’. I feel that as a public artist it is my responsibility to give back and mentor young artists to give them the opportunity to create. I also feel that it is important to demonstrate to these youth that as an artist it is imperative to be able to look at art as a business that can be sustained. I am able to find funding for every project that I initiate. I am also able to turn art into a tool for economic revitalization, while simultaneously offering young talent experience and training not available through traditional educational resources. I truly feel that until artists look at art as a business many gifted artists will never be known because their work will only gather dust in their private studios.