"Whether we are poets or parents or teachers or artists or gardeners, we must start where we are and use what we have. In the process of creation and relationship, what seems mundane and trivial may show itself to be a holy, precious, part of a pattern."
- Luci Shaw
Douglas, 18x24 Sisters, 18x24 Cedar, 18x24 Mother Tree, 24x24 Seasons of my life, 24x24 Flora is a series of paintings inspired by my life on the Sunshine Coast and the rich beauty of its forests. The word flora refers to the plant life of a particular region, and in Roman mythology, Flora is the goddess of flowers and spring, a symbol of love, beauty, and abundance. The forest is where I feel most connected and inspired. Walking the trails with my dog, Juno, my husband, or with family and friends through places such as Cliff Gilker Park, Hidden Grove, and Smugglers Cov...
I have been working on the Flora Forest series with the intention to then move to Fauna of the Forest. The two can be separate or together in my mind as the are symbiotic. Recently, I saw a beautiful movie called Nature Girl . We were lucky to see a viewing at school with the students and staff. It was filmed on the Sunshine Coast by the filmmaking duo 'Trent Maynard and Candace Campo, ancestral name xets’emits’a (to always be there), who spent five years documenting the surprising species living in a wetland in the shíshálh Nation swiya (also known today as the Sunshine Coast, BC, Canada). Nature Girl is an intimate introduction to our non-human fellow citizens: the plant and animal beings of the swiya. Using poetry and motion sensor cameras, the film documents intergenerational black bear families scratching at a scratch post, and bathing in a small watering hole, alongside elk, newts, frogs, owls and bats. " (Youtube Forests of the th...
Banana Kidney Bean Soup This recipe is an adaptation of a favourite recipe by James Barber. His is a Black Bean Banana Soup and mine is a Banana Kidney Bean soup with a variety of veggies. Ingredients include 1 onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves 1 banana chopped 1 tomato chopped 2 potatoes chopped 2 carrots chopped 1/4 a yellow pepper chopped 1/2 a yam chopped Spices add to your preference (around 1/2 to 1 tsp.) Cumin Curry 1/2 tsp. Masala 1/2 tsp Red chili pepper flakes Oregano or Italian spices Veggie boullion Kidney beans one can (make sure to drain and wash) Directions put oil in pot add ingredients in order let them fry. Add water so the veggies don't stick to the bottom. Add spices, beans and then add 8 cups of water plus veggie boullion. Cook until it is ready. 1. Chopped ingredients 2. Add spices 3.Veggies Cooking 4.Water and beans added. Let is cook until all veggies cooked and tastes great. (Over an hour) This is a yummy wholesome meal that can b...