Artist friends...

... are a necessity in my world.

Creating anything is essentially a task that requires concentration, focus and a space that fosters experimentation.  As such, it is often a lonely task.  But it is the artists who have gone before, and the ones with whom we play, that also stir the creative juices and help us to think outside of our own patterns and ways of doing things.

I regularly play with artist friends, and more than anything, appreciate the different methods of creativity I discover by doing so.  An often-as-possible-for-one-who-lives-in-another-province playmate is Alice Saltiel-Marshall, an incomparable oil/acrylic/watercolour artist who has embraced the mixed media world with a passion.  Alice teaches me as much as my mind can absorb about the world of painting realism, and if I ever manage her feather touch with a paint brush I will feel it has been a life well-lived.

Mail from Gran  ©Alice Saltiel-Marshall

If I have questions about watercolour techniques, I call on my artist friend Laura Leeder.  Her timeless paintings evoke a feeling of years gone by, and take me to a place of quiet appreciation for still life and florals.

Summer Harvest  © Laura Leeder

When I am considering anything to do with fabrics, I'll be in touch with Eileen Gidman, whose methods of painting with dyes on fabric are rich, deep and colourful.  Her use of stitching over her painted pieces was impetus for a project created for my niece two years ago, and I'm thinking there are possibilities of working with painted dryer sheets that she can assist me with.

Birds on a Wire  © Eileen Gidman

So to these and others of my artist friends who give me such joy, I salute you, and thank you.  It's a pleasure to share this journey with you.