Issue #48: Winter Works and Wanderings

Winter is My Time to Reflect and Prepare

After reviewing 2018, my work summed up to 11 murals and 6 design projects. This was enough to keep me very busy and resulted in the most amount of time I've held a paintbrush in 1 year!

Now in the middle of hibernation, I'm back to graphic designing and sending in submissions and quotes in hopes of receiving more amazing murals and clients to work with this year. Among snow falls and design events, I've also been venturing into some mysterious, monochromatic winter-scapes and have been inspired by other artists, designers and ecologists.

Explore below to find snow-covered trees, collections of sepia-toned plant silhouettes, and projects in the works. And I'll leave you with a few links to people doing great things in both art and nature: By Nature's living walls, the new MOCA Toronto and the Eco Design Symposium.

Enjoy the snow, Spring will soon be here!

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Thank you for hearting art,
Pam ❤

Issue #45: Morocco in May

May flowers brings June mural

The last 2 months have been filled with painting and adventuring—my 2 favourite things! I spent May at an art residency in Morocco painting a mural in exchange for living on their organic farm. From peaceful views among pomegranate trees and donkeys on mountain tops, I arrived back home to start a mural in downtown TO at the Chelsea Hotel. Over the month of June, Gerrard Street came to life with a 145-foot "film strip" depicting the history of theatre on Yonge Street.

Below, I'll show you a slightly different process I used to create the mural in Morocco. And since there are too many photos to share all at once, Chelsea will appear in the next letter. For now, you can peak at the result here on Instagram or Facebook.

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Thank you for hearting art,
Pam ❤

Issue #40: Medicinal Plant Paint

The Evergreen Brick Works

Trees were starting to turn into Autumn colours as spiritual leader Philip Cote from First Story led us along a waterlily-filled pond. We paused at a cedar tree as he explained the process of making tea from the leaves to prevent pneumonia. I tasted cedar for the very first time—then sumac seeds which also makes a medicinal tea. Funny—I had drawn and made paint from sumac leaves only a few days before!

At the top of the hill, we gathered in a circle while Philip drummed. We passed along burning sweetgrass, smudging ourselves to open up to learn. While I continue to draw and learn about plants, I'm discovering a deeper respect for nature. Nature is all around, offering materials to create art and remedies to keep us healthy. More than ever before, it's important to love nature as much as she loves us.

"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you." ~Frank Lloyd Wright

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Thank you for hearting art!
❤ Pam

Issue #37: Rock, Paper, Tails!

Manifestations

As I painted along, the owner of The Rock Store came out to see the progress. Delighted with the mural so far, she told me about the store's original opening party at it's other location 8 years ago. A woman purchased a very unique rock which resulted in a very rewarding sale. A sale that hasn't been matched since—until I started painting this mural!

It could have been luck or coincidence. Or, as she believes, an alignment of positive energies merged between us and the creation of the mural. It's portrayal of crystals, nature and love manifested a special omen for the new Harbord Street store.

“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science.” ~Albert Einstein

Read the rest of August's Art Letter here. Featuring:
❤ The Rock Store
❤ Tails My Pet Store
❤ Photo Stories: An Urban Walk

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Thank you for hearting art.
❤ Pam

Art = Nature

I have a theory. Tell me if it's true. I believe art and nature are the same and cannot exist without the other. Nature is an art in itself, creating perfect colour palettes and harmonious shapes. Within all its organic-ness is perfection. How can nature be wrong? It holds an endless supply of lines and patterns. Nature is a terrific source for artists to "draw" from.

My inspiration has always derived from the world I see around me. While going through my photos from Vietnam, I noticed this connection for other artists as well. A figure drawing class in the middle of (what seemed) an abandoned garden. A monk who found eternal youth and happiness from painting thousands of mountain scrolls. A boy who used large leaves as his paint palette. A Canadian example, the iconic style of The Group of Seven. The documentary Painted Land, shows how they loved the natural landscape and spent their lives painting it. It's hard to know which they loved more—painting or being in nature?

Homes and Gardens: 

Look who popped up at the Home and Garden Show!

My little garden-in-a-vase integrating with the Gold Bird Mural.

A sweet bunny adds fun decor to a hydrangea garden.

Beautifully designed metal palm trees by Designer Palms—
and they have coconut lights!

Ask me how to get your own garden mural...

Hanging with Trees: 

Sculpture Gardens at the McMichael Gallery. 

My friend Juli Lyons and I enjoyed a Spring afternoon photographing.

We walked among welcoming sculptures that seemed to
blend perfectly into the landscape.

A jar containing a Haiku poem hangs from each of the sculptures.

6 of The Group of Seven artists lay to rest here,
in a protective circle of rocks.

Check out my available nature-based artwork...

Art, Artists and Nature in Vietnam: 

Surprise Appearances in Gardens.

Mountains of mountain paintings made by a monk
(Dalat, Vietnam).

Nhat paints my portrait (Saigon, Vietnam). 

Mr. Thuc, the monk artist, looks much younger than his 65 years. 

Leaves used as a paint palette (Luang Prabang, Laos). 

Carving in the back garden of a restaurant run by an artist
(Kon Tum, Vietnam). 

This figure drawing class was completely hidden in the massive gardens of the Forbidden Purple City (Hue, Vietnam).

Follow the last month of my 1 year adventure on Instagram...

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