Pickering Streetlight Banners

I choose to celebrate Pickering’s relationship with the natural environment with two paintings inspired by the art of Tom Thomson and Frederick Varley.

Tom on Smoke Lake is a rendering of the original oil painting by Tom Thomson. I painted him canoeing in the 1915 painting Smoke Lake.

Harness the Wind celebrates Pickering’s green energy innovations. The painting depicts the enormous wind turbine that stood on the shore of Lake Ontario adjacent to the Nuclear Generating Station. The turbine replaced Varley’s windblown pine, painted in Stormy Weather in 1927.

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Vegreville Ukrainian Street Murals

The vinok is part of the traditional costume of Ukrainian women, but its significance, shape and decoration cross many cultures. For me, this wreath symbolizes unity and community. Notions of Mother Earth, protection and purity are associated with the wreath. Ukraine’s history is one of oppression. It is amazing to me that the language, costume, dance and stories have survived. The streamers illustrate resilience and they are also a symbol of the spirit and resolve for freedom and independence.