What is my story?

​I had a concussion and now I use art to heal my mind. After a concussion your mind is going thru a lot of negative things. i started writing positive quotes which turned into calligraphy then doodles then art. I forced my mind to be positive even thought I didnt feel it. When 'art' is not readily available I have written (though not many) poem about nature. I stopped creating art after my dad passing because i was not able to process grieving. It was really hard mentally to believe it to be true. The moment i created art was the bell box on Windwood drive (the one was defaced).  When I moved 2 years ago we have large bay windows. I started buying a plant and now own maybe 200 or so. 

What is the message? / The Impact?

Art is powerful and healing. I love plants. Whatever I paint is incorporated into art. You can over come (or try to) anything. the right mindset is important. 

How do i want to be shown?

Genuine to my own character. I am quirky I have a lot of ideas that very very random like my mural. I would love to show my uniqueness. I am very last minute if i feel like painting or making something i do it even if its 2am. 

If I could be a show - I adore the show 'love on the spectrum' doc tv series. These characther are genuine. I want to be shown in similar nature. 

My husband is very very shy. If you look on my TikTok and some of my facebook reels he compliments me well. He would most likely be in the background watering tomatoes or tending on his trees. 

​I can talk your ear off about plants. I will lose track of any conversation if you mention you have house plants... 

Challanges

I would say most of the time my challenges are negative. i would firstly very much like to be show as someone who can over come obstacles. I do not want to be 'perfect' or someone to look up to. But I want those who go thru what i have to know, it will change. Things will get better. Its been about 7 years since my concussion and I just went to see the Barbie movie. I have not gone to Wonderland... and other things. Its about adapting and knowing your abilities. Also I would say what has raised me up as a human first then artist second is SUPPORT. Support from MAC and friends pushing me forward. 

I think its also important to talk about 'bullies' and the negative things I have experience but always show the light at the end of a tunnel. Great example is the bell box being defaced. 

Words to describe me

Resilient. Creative. Different. Plant lover. Lift others up. Colourful. Vibrant. 

Impact of Community Arts

Collaboration Mural with Sandy Pitts / Bread and Honey 50th anniversary and Rechie Valdez former MP of Streetsville now Minster of Small Business 
Interview - Sandy Pitts, Rechie Valdez
Mississauga Culture commission  - Collab with Pat Saito former Councillor of Ward 9
Interview - Pat Saito 
Mississauga Bell box of the Trails of  Mississauga with MAC. Located at Windwood Park
Interview - Mike Douglas, Rosemary Narcotto (Bell). 
Bell box at Meadowvale theatre which is an expansion of the 'trails of mississauga' art work. Visuals - These are all elements from Meadowvale trail which Pat Saito commissioned in her 30 years as councillor 
Mike I can assume would talk about the Peel New paper front page I was on. We were also both on CBC now with Gill Deacon together as an interview for this. Ive also received some awards so he would maybe mention that. He's been supportive thru my concussions (and patient sometimes I have a hard time with words.. or I use to, So i required extra help)

Peel Children Aid Society

Large mural "do what makes your soul happy' I do not know the lady at Peel CAS, Renee but if you interviewed her you could get cool shots there or the impact of the mural or the meaning behind? She does not know me well enough to say anything about me. But this art work has been seen thru a lot of their socials post. So i know its very well received. 

Music (and arts)

I often paint to native flute music. A musician whom i have collaborated on two projects also did the opening ceremony of the Bread and Honey. Anthony Barr [email protected] I have mentioned briefly about this project he would be interested.

We have been part of events together when I live paint and he plays music
Dynamic Visual on Screen - I paint in my backyard utilitize natures shadows. Anthony Plays his flutes close by. Two  birds with one stone - you can also do an audio recording. 
in 2022 I wrote a Matchmaker grant with mac which was not accepted. It explored how Music affects (my) art. The link on the right show cases what Jazz, Classical, Pop, Native flute music looks like to me. This could be very interesting for the documentary especially if we pull in different music. 

Impact. The first interview of the Mac Grant Link is with 'Amy Di Nino" who i have previously interviewed and collaborated with. She is also the president of Music Therapy association of Ontario. She is located in Cambridge but would most likely take an interview about Music + art speaking directly about me (since she knows me).

Poetry (and Arts)

Part of the first MAC Fusion art grant Combining Art music and poetry to showcase the 7 core human emotions. I created the art once i felt the emotion. Susan K wrote a poem and anthony Barr (flute musician) played a composition. We preformed this around Mississauga. and reached hundreds of people. We also show cased at the now Hazel Mccallion Library and Studio 89. 
Interview - Mike Douglas, Stephan Dasko Councillor who was our guest speaker (who I was teaching for Agm and city of Mississauga and he was the introduction for my watercolour class) and he mentioned how impacted he was with that evening's performance. Interview with Susan K (writer Poet) who knows me very well and can explain me better in words then me...

My Poem

I wrote a poem while kayaking. I saw a tree fallen over, and within that tree grew new live. I saw this as a parallel to my dads passing. In that moment I cried and grieved. I felt I was with him. I wrote my first poem from beginning to end and was 'forced' by susan K to submit it into the Mississauga group writing contest. 
The Poem is on the right. I have copy and pasted it below as I dont feel the spacing is proper with the dramatic pauses and paragraphing. The photo is taking on lake Chapleau. The bottom poem and photo is not mine

Father Tree, 1950

Swirling vivid colours, waltz
​Illuminated in soothing warmth
Mesmerizing rumbling clouds
Obstructed by whispering pines, 
Nestled away, rest inside care

Comforting echoes of rustling branches
Honoured the surrounding forest
Arching, reaching, bending in
Organized chaos

Father tree, glorious and wise
Bounded, shifting to the currents of time
Limited, unaware, he cannot be moved

Clouds bellow, engulfing the sunlight
Trees bow, giving praise to his life
As the radiance peaks past the clouds
Embracing Father tree one last time

At the end of his exhale 
Tensions, inabilities let go
His limbs fragile and delicate
Crash into an eternal slumber

He is unrooted
Changing the plains of the forest 
Breaking the stillness 
Breaking the silence

Embedded in mother earth 
His branches, his truck, his leaves 
Submerged in the lake
Returning to the soil, the water, the air

The calmness of the lake, forever disturbed
Splashing, crashing waves upon father tree
Emotional ripples across the generations
Droplets trickle across each branch
Glistening in the sunset
Winds uplift his spirit
Floating amongst the clouds, the stars, the universe
Traveling in a space where, 

He is unconfined to his bed
Captured inside his body
Awake and never sleeping
Wishing to be heard, stories to be told
Reserved in his own thoughts
Now uncontrollable in an controlled environment

New adventures await him
Tears of comfort and joy, pride and belonging
Waiting for the day we are reunited
Embraced by the sunlight
Dancing, walking, talking
Gloriously being my father again
Unconstrained by life’s shadows

Visually cool shots

My background working in Iatse667, They are located in Toronto. Im sure they would give an interview to my characther. This year is my 20th Year. 

I teach for Studio 89 / Mac - Impact arts program - Studio 89 is across from erin mills town centre. They are large windows filled with plants. I bring them plants all the time. A visually 'wow' shot would be maybe creating art in the cafe, painting in a notebook with the plants. They know me well there. Great cut aways

Collab with local musician - different styles of art. This could be at their performance and i paint on the side. My friend Jenn plays sound bowls, We could also shoot in streetsville at her studio '287 queen street west' visually it has high beams wooden, I could paint during a sound bowl ceremony. 

Green house - Painting inside a green house using plants are subject. Or just walking thru a green house naming all plants. showing excitement. I would say Mississauga Green house cause its local, But also Terra is such an incredible green house! 

Plant music - We could connect electrodes to my plants and once im cleaning/watering for them their tune changes? We can use this to mix it into the audio / background music. Below is a link to the product. That would be so cool. How would their music change im painting close to them?
Painting in my backyard. I use fallen leafs and make brushes. Example Cedars and pine needles :) Large backyard 

Painting while Kayaking - Though this is hard I have footage.

End note

I am multi faceted. This could be any or all of the below.
  • The Healing power of visual arts. Concussion turned artist and what I over come
  • Plant love. How i love my plants and my art gives homage to them. 
  • Music + poetry + art + nature = integrated into my life 
  • How I 'see'  (feel) music and how different styles appear. Back this up with interviews. 

Other notes

I was​ an illustrator for the book 'baking wonderland' which is out at indigo it was top 100 in globe and mail for 2023. I was chosen because my quirky  nature and odd ideas. They are maybe located in Oshawa if you need to interview them to speak about my character.