A quiet moment
The focus of my landscape paintings, is the spiritual connection to Nature, expressed through colour, rhythm and pattern.
It is the joy that comes when you quiet yourself for a moment, and really take in your surroundings. A practice that brings insight, perspective, and creativity, similar to journaling.
The landscape of the place where you grow up is imprinted on your psyche. Those of us who live far away from our homelands, are comforted by the familiarity when we see images that remind us of home, regardless of our level of patriotism.
Even people who have only vacationed in tropical locations, enjoy surrounding themselves with images of tropical landscape because it makes them nostalgic for the relaxing pace, and prolongs the feeling of a well-earned reward and indulgence.
The sensual pleasures of the sand between your toes, sun warming your body, and the swishing sound of the coconut fronds in the tropical breezes. The refreshing cool water on your skin as you slip into the clear blue ocean on a hot day is an unforgettable experience, it is the definition of paradise.
Caribbean & Canadian landscape
As part of the Caribbean diaspora, I probably romanticize the lush vegetation, and crave the vibrant colour in the dead of winter.
However, the summers in Ontario, Canada mean hiking, and camping with the family. That is when I take reference photographs for my pondscapes; dragonflies on water lilies, and bees and butterflies pollinating flowers.
There is also no denying the breathtaking beauty of the autumn landscape, with the leaves changing colours, from green to yellow, to orange, to red, to brown.
Nature provides a feast of inspiration for the artist.