AT THE BEGINNING: Born in Lethbridge, Alberta, my parents moved back to Ontario while I was still quite young. I have a photo of my father, outfitted like a cowboy from a John Wayne movie, standing alongside a few horses.
For the most part, we spent our formative years living in rural areas, on the outskirts of small communities situated in Southwestern Ontario. One property included ten acres of forest. Our next move brought us to three acres of weeds, trees and a pond.
AT WHAT POINT DID I BECOME INTERESTED IN ART? It all started when I was thirteen: my father gave me an oil painting kit as a Christmas gift. After taking art courses in school, I migrated to acrylics. Easy water clean-up and faster drying time won me over.
Looking back over the years, art and writing have always been a major part of my life, although the partnership wasn't always balanced. If I was given the choice between writing a book review or creating an advertising poster for that book, I always chose the poster.
From crayons, to pencils, to oil paints, to acrylics, to oil pastels and watercolours - it's been a wonderful ride.
For the most part, I'm inspired by nature. The colours, contrasts and textures are always changing. So much beauty, if we just take the time to see it. The transparent petals of tulips. Foreboding clouds veiled with a layer of brooding grey and mauve. The tops of ripened wheat fields swaying to and fro as if trying to mimic the shallow waves of a lake. Beautiful aqua-hued eggs, still in their nest, grounded without fulfilling their potential.
Nature is inspiring.
When was the last time you noticed?
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH A CROCHET HOOK: A granny-square poncho made with brown and beige acrylic yarn.
During one of our occasional camping trips when we were kids, we had gathered around a campfire. My sister and I began our new projects in the semi-darkness among the crickets and wood smoke. In two weeks, our ponchos were completed. We wore them for a couple of years until we reached the point where we out-grew them. That's when I became hooked.
Now that the Bohemian style has become very popular, beautiful wall hangings can be created following vintage crochet doily patterns. Instead of crafting with fine crochet thread, use a worsted or bulky weight yarn and stretch the over-sized doily on a large hoop or frame. Drape it over the foot of a bed. Change the pattern slightly to create a Christmas tree skirt. So many ideas…
For the most part, my learning experience has been gained by following patterns created by others. I began "designing" my own projects when I was unable to find patterns for what I wanted to make.
Nowadays, I am more interested in creating useful, timeless and distinctive items. YES! It is possible to make something beautiful with an economically-priced yarn or a combination of leftovers from other projects.
Many years later, I remain amazed at what a ball of yarn, crochet hook and a bit of imagination, ingenuity and determination can create.
INITIAL ATTEMPTS AT WRITING: At the tender age of eleven, I wrote about wild horses, just as you'd expect from a pre-teen girl during the '70's. A story about danger, honour and innocent equine romance.
Two years later, I wrote about getting lost in a forest. Our entire family of six hopped into our car for a twenty minute drive to view a piece of wooded property that was for sale. We ended up on a dead-end dirt road with the sun disappearing on the horizon and mosquitoes coming out to enjoy their fresh buffet of naive town dwellers.
A helpful stranger drove us back to where we had started out, all the while telling us tales about cougars being spotted in those woods.
My teacher liked the story so much I had to get up in front of the school and read it out loud.
With shaking hands and trembling voice, I recited our tale. Most of my class mates were impressed when I mentioned the cougars.
LEARNING THE ART OF WRITING: It’s a life-long journey, not an over-night stop. I’ve been a reader all of my life. That certainly helps!
During the spring of 2004, I enrolled in a part-time course with Conestoga College in Kitchener, “Writing a Novel.” Over the course of two years, I completed the first draft and two polishing edits of my first novel.
After receiving rejections in answer to a few queries I’d sent out during the fall of 2006, I’d reached the point where I needed a professional’s objective opinion. I contacted an editor, thinking he’d be able to point out the weak areas in my story. As he was more concerned with grammar and structure, he suggested I enlist the aid of a manuscript evaluator. I’d never even heard of such a service. Evaluators look at the story from a marketing point of view. Will it sell? Why not? Following up on most of the recommendations, I re-worked that manuscript for the next twelve months.
Practicing on that first story gave me the insight I needed to improve my craft and to move forward with the beginnings of a second novel--a strong enough beginning, I gained acceptance into The Humber School for Writers, graduating from the program in 2008.
LITERARY INFLUENCESA Place to Call Home, by Deborah Smith
The Weight of Water, by Anita Shreve
The Edge of Town, by Dorothy Garlock
