I was born in Toronto, Canada where I lived until the early 1990's. It was not until I moved to the Ottawa Valley that I began to feel a strong need not so much to express myself, but to work through a tension that was largely born through frustration. I think the frustration was related to a growing awareness of both the importance of finding my place in the world and of the many obstacles to doing so. My work in stone did not pave a path to my place in the larger scheme of things, rather it allowed me to feel that wherever I was and whatever difficulties I was having, I was exactly where I was supposed to be. This feeling of belonging was communicated in the moments when creative flow gently but persistently pushed aside the thoughts of everyday life - Did I return that email? When do the kids need to be picked up? Is there enough orange juice in the fridge?
Over time it has become easier and easier to enter the creative state. The little voice that use to tell me I couldn't do it has moved on to an easier target. I can do this. For a time I lived and worked in the ancient and honoured landscape of the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec, Canada. In this place inspiration flowed from the rugged landscape of trees and rocks and lakes. Post pandemic, I am living and working in Cornwall Ontario where I am inspired by meeting new people, going new places and spending time on the banks of the powerful St. Lawrence River. Travelling in my van during the summer always seems to lead me to the shore Lake Superior. Its amazing power and the beauty of the landscape stay with me all year long. At the river in Cornwall I have no trouble imagining that I have seen or even felt some of this water before and that gives me a sense of continuity between places and over time.
Ella Rose and I would love to have you follow us @ellasepicadventures.
About Creating
Each piece is as much about the process as it is about the finished product. I take great satisfaction in working with such a hard and unyielding substance as stone and shaping it into soft and flowing forms. I work largely by hand, using simple tools, which allows me to work at a pace that takes into consideration my personal process of integration. When things are going well it feels like a seamless flow from within to without. It is a release, but I can't clearly say what it is that is being released. For me, time in the studio can be similar to meditation - you may not know exactly where your mind went, but you are left with the certainty of its' journey.
