Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine October 2018 | Page 100

Canada: “In My Dreams"
The artistic styles, yes styles plural, that I
express are multi-disciplinary meaning that
I find it necessary from a creative point to
diversity between mediums. I first trained
in oils but then expanded into oil/cold wax
which is a very organic process using pure
white beeswax mixed into the oils giving a
very ‘touchy/feely’ look to a painting. Painting
in acrylics has also taken on an advanced
process with all the new mediums which can
be added to give a contemporary look with
working in mixed media using glass beads
and fibre. Inks on Japanese rice paper using a
wax resist method also attracts me for a very
loose and subliminal look. Some images are
being provided to show some examples. But
the theme is always the same - vibrancy and
intensity of colour whether applied to tropical
or northern subject matter. As a magazine
cover artist in Barbados, I am however, known
for my little ‘Lovesheep’, my interpretation
of the Bajan Black Belly Sheep that I show in
my paintings along with pink-roofed chattel
houses - they’re so much fun!
Canada: “Floral Fantasy"
By using strong colour, it appears to reach out
to people who will always comment that my
work is very happy and cheerful. I somehow
don’t do angst. I never think of that when I
paint but it appears that what I feel actually
does come out. And this gives me great
pleasure that I can make someone feel happy
in what I do and exhibit for them. My life is
reflected in my work as I am very lucky to have
a sunny and humorous personality and this is
how I show life in my work. It’s just my way!
People always wonder what keeps an artist
motivated. There’s only one answer and that
is……our audience. Without an audience an
artist can’t perform. An art mentor once told
me that we had to, yes had to, show our work
because if we didn’t we would stop painting.
The reason? you can’t keep giving your work to
relatives or putting them in the closet. So they
have to go somewhere and if you put them out
there, they just might sell. And then provide
the psychological and physical fuel to keep the
process going.