What inspires YOU?

Today I am inspired by IDEAS. I am REALLY REALLY excited about an idea I have... this one is NOT going to get lost in a sketchbook somewhere on the shelf :) This one is happening! I had a dream almost a year ago about this and I was SO incredibly inspired! Then I began to doubt myself and thought "one day" I'll do it. It has been rolling around in the back of my mind for so long, in the "to do one day" pile. It got stuck there because I doubted if I could actually pull it off, I think I used the excuse that this project would be really time consuming... well guess what! There will NEVER be enough time! We just MAKE time for what is REALLY important :) And if something INSPIRES you so much you cant sleep because you cant stop thinking about it... then you NEED to just do it!

Last weekend I had a conversation with a friend, and in a non related way it triggered this idea again and in that moment I knew exactly how the whole project was going to happen. And it's big. I cant talk about this project yet, but you will hear about it VERY soon!

I always thought it was my major downfall having too many ideas that I would never be able to do them all... I once heard a cool quote "If you didn't do everything you planned to do in your life time, you didn't plan enough!" Love it!

To anybody who would like to add a comment, (and please do!) tell us what inspires you? Do you have a cool project you have been putting off? Is today the day you will loose some sleep and start working on that inspiring idea and make it happen? What motivates you? What inspires you?

Weeping in the Rain Series

This series is one of my favorites to paint. They are painted entirely from dripped acrylic and liquid leaf, with drips of metallic gold and bronze. This was the first one I did, took a total of three months to complete and over 70 layers of dripped paint. I finished it last summer. I was living at my grandmothers house when I was working on this painting, one night she came downstairs and exclaimed, "What did you to to that pretty canvas?!?" That's when I knew I was on the right track :)


One of the reasons I LOVE working with liquid leaf is how it reflects in different light. In day light it shimmers like a metallic, and becomes transparent showing the layers underneath. In artificial light it becomes darker and if it is thick enough it will dry still looking like wet paint.


This was the next one, 30x40 canvas acrylic, liquid leaf and a whole lot of bronze and gold :) This one can be found at Artworks Gallery.


This one I called Remember When It is 18x36" on canvas. It can be found at Casa Home Decor in Vancouver.


This painting measures 36x36" on canvas. I love how abstract this one is, the weeping willow tree is barley visible. This one can also be found at Artworks Gallery in Vancouver.

As The Seasons Change

I love this time of year, the colors are so incredible! I love watching the leaves changing color. The air is crisp and fresh and I am always intoxicated by the colors in the sky. I love driving over the Golden Ears bridge early in the morning, the fog is so amazing, it allows you to see only the tips of the colorful trees and the top of the mill... probably one of my all-time favorite views. Something about it pulls me, I could spend hours there just staring.

This painting is called As The Seasons Change it is 36x60inches acrylic, liquid leaf and metallic gold on canvas. My husband wants me to rename this painting The Crying Clown, he is so awesome :D

Never Forgotten

This is a new piece, "Never Forgotten". I finished it a little while ago as I was reminiscing about an old friend who was killed in a car accident when I was in grade 11. October 2nd marked 7 years since the accident. His name was Rob, we called him "Newky" for short :) My family moved in across the street from him and his sister when I was 5. I have so many great childhood memories thanks to Rob and Sam... playing on the farm, sneaking into the corn field behind their house, climbing trees, playing house on the trampoline, having picnics under the tree of the grumpy old farmers house and getting kicked out, sneaking over to their house to listen to Backstreet Boys and play Girl Talk :) My childhood would not have been nearly as exciting without them. In highschool he was always there for me, looking out for me, he was like my big brother. It was a cold sunday morning when my sister came downstairs to tell me Rob had been in an accident the night before just down the road, and didnt make it. The last time I saw him was just days before and I didnt believe her. I didnt want to believe her. He was so loved by so many, everybody who met him was instantly drawn to his kind heart, he made instant friends everywhere he went. He made a difference for so many people.

This painting is in memory of my friend Rob. It measures 12x48" and was painted with acrylic, liquid leaf and metallic gold on wood cradled panel and finished with a layer of resin. The resin looks like a layer of glass over the painting, I have wanted to try resin for a while and finally did it. If you look closely you can see the birds flying in the sky. The colors remind me of an old photograph, an old memory. You are forever in our hearts Rob.

Best 2 months of my life :)

2 months ago today I married the man of my dreams :) It was the best day of my life, it was so beautiful and everything was beyond perfect! It was more than I ever dreamed! We were surrounded by close friends and family under the trees beside the water in Port Moody. It was a gorgeous sunny warm day.



My sister and maid of honor flew in all the way from Virginia with her beautiful 1month old baby Emma and her husband. We had family come from everywhere, Washington, Vancouver Island, Alberta, it was so amazing to have so much love around us.


We had so much fun and danced the night away! I am so proud, happy and honored to be a Huggon! Russ makes me so excited about life and I cant wait to spend every day with my best friend and true love. Happy 2months hubby :D

I have been a busy bee today! Finally dusted off the old sketch books and started bringin to life some fun ideas :) You can see todays progress at my BRAND NEW etsy shop called Magenta Tree: www.magentatree.etsy.com

Finally started my Secret Obsessions series which will include fashion items, so far I have finished a few cute dresses, I have about 50 ideas yet to create for this series :D Also started my Inspiring Quotes series. When I was a kid I would collect quotes that I loved and that inspired me, I love how they are going so far... but I think I have far too many amazing quotes to ever put them all on canvas :)

AND I have started my Christmas Card series, have my fist 5 done! So fun! It always amazes me when holiday decorations come out into stores, I ALWAYS think it is WAY to early! So I am not going to be selling them just yet... Halloween first, then Christmas :)

Beautiful Treasuries

Some new paintings, and some of the biggest paintings I have done yet :D Very fun!! The largest is 48x72inches. I want to do a 8x10foot one soon :D