“In my pieces, I am exploring the art of Métis beading. As the Metis people are known as the Flower Beadwork People, our beading is traditionally floral in design. My paintings reflect this tradition as well as showing my love of nature. Where story-telling is the verbal way of passing traditional knowledge, beading is a visual connection to the past. I am honouring that past through my art.”
I am a self-taught artist, born in Toronto in 1953, now residing in Crystal Beach, Ontario. Several years ago I found my birth mother and family. My maternal ancestry is Red River Metis, French and Scottish. I have been accepted into the Red River Metis Nation by virtue of this ancestry. Since I had no knowledge of my past, I struggled to find a way to connect. Along with educating myself about the Metis people, I was inspired by two incredible artists; Christi Belcourt and Brian Kon. As a result, I taught myself this unique way of painting with dots.
It gives me great pleasure to share the importance of Metis beadwork through my art. Inspired by traditional patterns, each piece is unique.
Mainly created on a black background, each individual dot of acrylic paint is applied to the wood canvas using a tool called a stylus. The completed piece is colourful and has a dimensional quality as the paint dries as a raised "bead".
The finished work is then sprayed with a protective varnish.
My paintings are in homes and businesses in Crystal Beach, Toronto, Guelph, Northern Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Massachusetts, Connecticut & Tennessee.
As well, several of my pieces have been sold through the Leslie Grove Art Gallery in Toronto.
In 2024 I was privileged to take part in 2 juried online art galleries, the Pelham Art Festival and the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair.
My painting entitled, "The Great Turtle" has been purchased and is being displayed in a travelling exhibition created by Encore Canada in their Indigenous Gallery that contains paintings from artists representing Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Alberta and British Columbia.
Indigenous owned company Oscardo is producing various personal items and home decor with one of my paintings screened onto those items. oscardo.com