m e d i e v a l . n e o n

I found this amazing fabric in a rural goodwill several months ago. The instant that I saw it, I knew that I had to have it, although I had (and still have) no idea what to do with it. Originally I considered turning it into a psychedelic skirt or some hideous pillows, but now I think I might just tack it up in all its glory on my studio wall and let it inspire me. I like the idea of an alternate reality with lush gardens and jolly lovers wearing clothing inspired by separate centuries.

e l e c t r i c . g r e e n

Perhaps my favourite aspect of Toronto is its balance of urban and natural; paces away from bustling streets, there are quiet neighbourhoods of heirloom houses with sprawling lawns and lush gardens. I took a walk today down one such street, feeling peaceful and detached from city life (and reality).

h o m e

Home is: being greeted at the door by a ginger cat and a grey pug; lazily chatting on the back patio; a well stocked fridge; treadmill running in a retro laundry room; sleeping late, nestled in a sumptuous bed; verdant streets and yards, wide open spaces.

Home is: nostalgia; famaliar faces and voices.

Home is love and it's heartbreakingly hard to leave.

i n . b l o o m

My mum loves gardening. While I was still living at home, she would often try to persuade me to come outside and help her tend to her plants; she would (and still does) joke about paying me fifty cents to weed.

Even though I love flowers as a visual concept (as explained here), I was never very keen on the concept of gardening; one (among many) of my most dreaded summer phenomena was the experience of being dragged along to an open air garden centre; the heat and inevitable swarms (or so it seemed to me!) of bees and other bugs were unbearable to me. I was also always nonchalantly adamant that when and if I ever had a garden of my own, I would simply throw hand-fulls of seeds onto the earth and let nature take its course.

It's a mystery to me, but so far this summer I feel like I'm obsessed with plants; I keep pausing when I pass by beautiful gardens in bloom and can't resist capturing them on camera.

*

When I was little and we lived out in the county, there was a giant peony bush on the corner of our property; I remember staring in morbid fascination at the lush blossoms swarming with gigantic black ants.

g a r d e n . p a r t y

Yesterday, I spent the better part of the afternoon out on my quaint condo patio doing an impromptu photo shoot. Taking photos of my work for Etsy is a job that I'd been putting off for a while; those who know me know that I'm a perfectionist and not the most confident photographer (a dangerous combination!). The sunlight and warm air were alluring though, and I found myself enjoying the act of capturing my work (and some other things too!). I like that I'm starting to appreciate plants and nature much more than I did in the past too.

g a r d e n

s e c r e t . g a r d e n

I should spend more time outside.

a r t . g a r d e n

Diptych, one of two. Acrylic on cavnas...a little sloppy, will tighten on the next one.