CANADIAN PORTRAIT SCULPTOR
I came to the art of sculpture relatively late in life. As a young woman I studied Fine Arts at the University of Manitoba but opted for a different career path. A little over twenty years ago, I was fortunate enough to resume my pursuit of art which had always gravitated towards portraiture. While I achieved success in drawing and painting portraits, it wasn’t until I tried my hand at sculpting that I knew that I had found my true passion in life.
I have shown my work in various art shows and galleries in the Toronto area and I have executed dozens of commissioned portraits. I was commissioned to sculpt the portrait of philanthropist/developer Maxwell Rice. His bronzed bust, on a granite pedestal, is installed in the main entrance of the William Osler Hospital in Brampton Ontario.
I was commissioned to sculpt the bust of Roy Heenan, founder of Heenan Blaikie Law firm. Mr. Heenan was named an officer of the Order of Canada, in recognition for being one of Canada’s leading labour lawyers as well as his significant contribution to the art world.
The sculpture of Mayor Hazel McCallion was installed in the Hazel McCallion Campus of Sheridan College. She was mayor of Mississauga, the fifth largest city in Canada, from 1978 until her retirement in 2014. I am proud to have had the opportunity to honor such an iconic woman.
I displayed a body of work at The Homer Watson Gallery in Kitchener Ontario. The show consisted of eleven sculptures displaying a variety of emotions. It was interactive in that the viewer could consider what feelings were being evoked and then lift a flap to discover what I had in mind.
I was commissioned to do a sculpture of Bob White who passed away in 2017. He was the president of the Canadian Auto Workers Union, the president of the Canadian Labour Congress as well as an Officer of The Order of Canada. He was one of the most powerful and high-profile leaders in Canada.
I have enjoyed the process of sculpting many commissions and have found reward in sharing my knowledge of sculpture by holding classes in my studio. I am proud of my innate ability to execute portraiture in the uniqueness of the three dimensional form. I experience a deep satisfaction from being an integral part of a process that honours an individual’s life in such a time enduring art form.