Ever since I can remember I have loved to draw and paint. The idea of seeing something or imagining something and rendering it down on a blank surface - be it paper or canvas - the way I wanted it to be always intrigued and challenged me.

Even though I had an excellent art teacher who inspired me, introduced me to oil paints and other media that I hadn't tried before, I didn't choose art as a future career - thinking that I could not support myself with it. Instead, I attended the University of Toronto, majoring in English literature with the intention of someday teaching or writing. Shortly after earning my BA, I met my future husband. Oddly enough he was a technical illustrator and commercial artist who was supporting himself entirely with his art. He was a graduate of an art school program and like me loved to draw. At this point my future plans changed and took art classes at a local community college and participated in life drawing classes wherever I could find them (and still do). If I felt I was lacking in a skill or felt inexperiened in a medium, I found a course. As well, with a trained technical illustrator in the house there was always a critical eye regarding perspective. Much of what I learned throughout that time, I rejected. For instance, I don't like the unforgiving nature of watercolours and egg tempera, although beautiful, dries too fast for the way I paint. As well, black is always on my palette no matter what any teacher tells me.

For the past 20 years my husband and I have shared a studio, Lines and Curves Creative, formerly KDR Illustration. I primarily did house and people portraits and, with three active boys in tow, I had little time for other art. My boys are grown up now and I can finally fill up that 'fine art' page on my part of our website.

Because of my portraiture background, it shouldn't be a surprise that much of my work and many of the future paintings that are currently stored in my brain but haven't materialized on canvas, are figurative. I still do portraits yet, I have other things that I want to try. Years ago, my mother gave me some baby orchids and I've finally gotten the ones I haven't killed to flower and, the flowers are absolutely beautiful. I want to paint them. I want to paint landscapes, something I haven't done in years.

So many ideas and so little time. But, isn't that the way it always goes.