Tldr: see last paragraph.

Wow. For several years, I have intended to start a blog, but it somehow never happened. During that time, I've started, and finished, a Master of Fine Arts in painting degree from Savannah College of Art and Design, and taken what must be dozens of workshops from numerous artists whose work inspires me.

I am someone who came late to art - I started painting after a career as a writer and journalist and a bout with breast cancer. Like many people, I had a negative experience with an art teacher in Grade 8, (who was tactful, but made very clear that I was no artist, and I was never going to be an artist) and so I never expected to hold a paint brush in my hand again. However, a lot can change in your outlook on life after nearly a year of cancer treatments (surgery, chemotherapy and radiation). I no longer cared about career success, which was good since I was left with some ongoing after-effects from chemo, such as chronic fatigue, and sciatica and working was not really feasible. 

My experience also reinforced to me the brevity of life, and I developed a strong desire to create something tangible; something beautiful and meaningful. At first I took up rug hooking for several years, and I loved learning how to over-dye colour on old woolen clothing from second-hand stores, cutting it up into long strips and creating hooked mats. I was greatly inspired by a well-known Nova Scotia rug hooking artist, Deanne Fitzpatrick, whose work has been shown at the Canadian Museum of history, as well as in shows in Halifax, among other places. I attended several workshops with Deanne and she is a gifted artist and teacher. (You can see her work at https://hookingrugs.com/). 

Eventually, however, I yearned to know more as I wanted to design my own patterns for rugs and learn colour theory and harmony so in 2012 I signed up for my first art classes since Mrs. Bray's class in Grade 8. And as soon as I took my first painting class, something clicked and I was hooked. I put all my wool away and dove head-first into painting. 

I have heard that there are two types of learners (and likely more): those who jump in without knowing much and learn as they go along, by trial and error; and those who like to read, study and learn all they can about a subject before beginning a practice. I am definitely the latter. Once I decided to devote myself to painting, I wanted to know everything, and because I wanted to make up for all the years I didn't study art, I immersed myself in as many classes as I could, which finally lead me to SCAD.

Finally, to get to the point (if you read down to here, thank you! I won't eat up any more of your precious time). This first post was a long-winded way of explaining what lead me to art; why I want to continue learning until my last breath; and to let you know that my intention is to have a weekly (or so) blog entry where I will address anything art related that is on my mind, including theory, philosophy and techniques, or perhaps books I've read, or heard about, new artists I've discovered, or other art revelations that I've learned along the journey.   

And if anyone has any topic they'd like me to address, please list it in the comments below, or feel free to email me.