I am busily preparing for my show at Cafe Koi. My artwork will be showing from May 31 to June 25 ...
I have sent my images to the printers. They are being printed in very large format, the smallest measures approximately 4 x 2 feet ... The images I selected are all from this series - Vanitas II

If you're interested in knowing how I do the portraits and the meaning and inspiration behind my work, here is an interview I did with The Daily Undertaker on this series.

Hope you have a chance to see my work on display.

Leaving you with the latest addition I made to my botany series, it's a Tree Peony ...

Here is some new work for my botany series ... I am trying to get things ready for my show in June. I love these roses, it looks as if they are blushing ... they are the largest, most stunning roses I have seen ...

I added more work to my botany series, this time tulips ... Here are a few that I finished working on this evening ...

Inspiration: the sleepy sweetness of the hellebores - I love the nodding cup shape of the hellebores which begs to be looked at more closely. The natural beauty and antique colours of these flowers lend themselves as the ideal flower for vintage or loose garden arrangements and bouquets ...

I brought home a wine colour hellebore and took a few photos of this beauty ...


I scanned the hellebore as well, another for my botany set ...

Inspiration: Terrariums ...

These are the cutest mini-terrariums from the Botany Factory. Designed by Katie Goldman MacDonald in her San-Francisco studio, she aims at bringing plants to small indoor spaces. See more of her terrarium designs here.

{image courtesy of the Botany Factory}

Apartment Therapy lists the top 10 succulents and cacti and succulents for interiors.

This article Gardens in glass: make your own upcycled terrarium by Stephanie Rogers for ecosalon is helpful if you are wanting to make your own mini-terrarium. She offers different options for receptacles too ...
Mason Jar Terrarium – Craftzine
Inverted Jar Terrarium – Design Sponge
Wine Bottle Terrarium – Dr. Vino
Light Bulb Terrarium – Instructables

{light bulb terrariums by tiny terra}

Check out L.A.-based Machine Project's terrarium ...


I like the philosophy behind their gallery ... Machine Project brings "together artists, architects, designers, makers, scientists, programmers, plant enthusiasts, poets, and gaming nerds. Far from being a traditional gallery, Machine project could be described as an art-gallery-turned-mad scientist's laboratory used for collaboration, experimentation, classes , lectures, and for play. Perhaps what stands out the most is that no matter how serious the subject matter, Machine brings an air of effortless fun to the equation, making the work accessible to a large audience without needing to water down the ideas." (dwell)

Two more pictures from this past week ... one more from the Sirena series and the other from a new series I have been piecing together over the last year or so, inspired by botany ...

This afternoon I had a portrait session with Carolina. She is from Chile and spent some time growing up in Brazil as well ... She loves the beach and ocean, which was the inspiration behind this series 'Sirena' ... Here are some of the proofs from this afternoon's session ...

Finished my mother's portrait with her hands on the piano ...
She choose to play F, G sharp and B ...



Last post for awhile ... we're vacationing as a family for the first time!!! On our way through Saskatoon ... summers look much different than winters there ... so excited to be on the prairies for a week ...

(Saskatoon Winter, 2003)

Inspiration: my mother's piano ...

Just showing some of my work in progress ... these are the first scans I have done for my mom's portrait. I have scanned the entire piano and tomorrow I'll have her put her hands on her favourite keys/notes and scan this ... I'll add these to the scans I have already completed tonight ... so here is her piano sans hands and some of her things sitting beside the piano ...




These are my favourite portraits of Leo. I think it's the colours, textures and unusual camera angles that make them so wonderful for me ... and of course the subject - my little man. Blair Marie took the photographs.




Sharing a couple great artists and designers ...

yumiyumi makes these wonderful animal and floral prints ...


Kenyon Yeh : Product + furniture design - I especially like his furniture collection - homeless ... the idea behind it is genius!

Here is a great article IKEA Hacks: Designs by Kenyon Yeh

"I have assembled the pieces from a standard IKEA flat pack without following the instructions … Instead, I have simply composed the kits into customized furniture to suit my personal preference, adding some new details along the way."

(Behind the Scenes - UNIKEA)

(BRIA - UNIKEA)

Inspiration: Flowers, oh flowers galore!!!

I have known Elli since I was a kid, well over ten years now ... I have worked for her off and on throughout those years ... It was Elli who first really inspired me with flowers and who taught me how to be creative with flowers. When someone loves something so much, it catches ...

Lovely Elli owns a flower shop, a lovely shop, with lovely flowers ...

Here are Elli's portraits, just some of my favourites ...

p.s. we leave on vacation in a few days, through Saskatoon and then onto Toronto ... I am bringing my computer and scanner along for the ride, so any ladies wanting to have their portrait done, just let me know!!!

Inspiration: Simplistic design and gray, white and green ...
Here is the design I submitted for EVDS 2010/2011 Lecture Series poster and mail out competition ... I love this font, it is Gulim Che ... I especially like the spacing between the letters ...



David has been watching me piece together the vanitas portraits so far. Yesterday, his curiosity got the better of him and he asked me to scan his tattoos and his hand with Leo's hand ... I think the pictures turned out somewhat sweet ...


I found the bicycle of my dreams ... it is a wicked MADSEN and I love the colour ... I could haul stuff around, especially when Leo gets big enough, I'll throw him in the bucket ...

Yesterday afternoon I had a portrait session with Blair Marie ... Blair is a photographer ... so we looped film through her dark locks as she posed with some of her favourite cameras ... I love how you can see glimpses of her face, but it is her hair, hands and props that mostly make up the portraits ... Here are some of the ones I like most ...