It has come time to say farewell to Montreal. I will miss the couple who sit on a bench in the park gently plucking their banjos, the people who ride or walk down our street singing (it happens so often we call it ‘the singing street’), the patchwork of houses and shops, frequent coffee shop windows, the tumble of gardens and green laneways…
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Montreal is so beautiful under its blanket of snow. I have been savouring every minute of our last winter here in the Plateau. You learn so much when paying close attention to something and then making work about what you’ve seen.
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Many of my mornings over the past few months have been spent in the studio, painting. I’ve been going back to the basics – making work for myself – because I feel more alive, balanced, and grounded when I am creating images. I am keeping things simple: a few brushes, smaller loose-leaf pages, my favourite tubes of colour… and painting what interests me, for me. This has helped me to remember why I began painting in the first place and reconnect with the process of making.
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Time. It takes time and space for thoughts to percolate. It takes effort to slow down. I find a need to allow for quiet, for time spent working with my hands – repotting plants, doing a puzzle, baking something delicious, or going for a long walk. Also, that time is too precious to waste not being your fullest and brightest self – your health, well-being, and energy deserve respect and care.
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Printmaking is something that I’ve been thinking about for a long time. My first and only real experience with it was in an overview class of several processes in high school. I loved it at the time, but was focussed on photographic printing in the darkroom.
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I recently had the pleasure of completing this portrait of the Royal Montreal Curling Club. It was a custom wedding gift for a happy couple. My client reached out to me because her uncle was soon to be married and she and her family wanted to gift them something truly meaningful.
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There’s nothing quite like the feeling of settling into a favourite seat in a favourite place for a little carved out bit of time to think. You hear the familiar background sounds – mixed with ones that are unique to this moment – and feel a shift in your mood.
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I used to walk through Trinity Bellwoods Park often on my way to and from work, when I lived in Toronto. I remember fondly that time at the start and end of my day, to clear my head, feel the air, see people going to and fro. So often these small daily rituals are what stick with us over the years.
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Some things no longer exist in visual form within the family, such as a town your family immigrated from, a family farm or home that no longer exists. You have some pieces – memories, photos, stories – but not the full picture. The beauty of drawings is that the spirit of these places can be recreated. This, to me, is magical and full of opportunity.
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