Journal
Greece 2011
In mid May I travelled to the Greek Island of Mykonos. The sunshine and light were wonderful after the gray Toronto Spring. My hotel was in the hills with fields of poppies close by and spectacular views of the Aegean Sea. In Mykonos Town I painted the fishing boats and the domed temple in the background. I travelled by boat to Santorini and stayed in the village of Oia. At sunrise I was in the narrow streets painting the domes and white washed buildings against the Sea. After breakfast and a swim at my hotel I was again painting in the narrow streets in the mid day light. It was exciting to work with shapes and form and light. Around 3 pm I climbed down the 300 steps to the fishing boats below. I had a great Greek meal with wine and fresh fish at Katrinas. By then the sunlight was on the boats and I painted along the shore.
Italy 2011
I flew from Athens to Rome and took a train to Tuscany. I returned to the ancient village of Montisi in the Tuscan hills. I stayed in the same bed and breakfast that I had on a previous trip. The weather was hot and sunny and it was good to have a swimming pool. In the morning light I painted the bell towers from the valley below. Mid day I worked in the village painting the ancient walls and doorways. In the painting “Brown Door, Tuscany” I captured the dappled light on the door and the pots of roses and the textures and range of colours on the walls. In the afternoon light I painted from the far side of the village and painted the distant village.
England 2011
I lived in West Sussex in the early nineties. My husband attended London School of Economics and my son David was enrolled in a private boarding school. It was then that I found the beautiful thatched village of Amberley. I returned for many years to paint there. I returned this year after 10 years absence. It was as though time stood still. I painted the thatched cottages, and village church and gardens. I hiked up to the South Downs just outside the village where the poppies fields were at their height.
Toronto Beach 2011
I painted the local Beach scenes in watercolour and oil: the Neville Park Variety Store, the corner of Beach and Queen, Leuty lifeguard station, the Gardener’s Cottage and the Kingston Road Flower Market.
North 2011
By boat I reached Castle Island near Bigwin, Lake of Bays. I set up my easel on the shore and painted the smaller island. At Wolf Bay on Peninsula Lake I painted the canoes that were tied up at the dock and the small island off the shore. I travelled North to Kilarney . There was a beautiful view of the shore from Sunset Rock In the park I found spectacular views of George Lake and the distant La Cloche Hills. My second trip North I painted the Pinafore Islands from the shore of Lake Rosseau and the shoreline at Clovelly on Lake of Bays.
Florals 2011
Paintings of flowers in oils and watercolours were done in my garden, studio and in England.
Animals 2011
Sheep cows and roosters were all painted in oils.
The Oils 2011
At home in my Toronto Studio I did oils based on some of the paintings I did on location in Europe, Beach Scenes, Northern Ontario, and florals. I painted the canvas with a raw sienna or burnt sienna background before painting. This gave depth and luminosity to the paintings.