Art,Kindness,Connection

Painting isn’t about control or perfection—
it’s about trust and surrender.
It’s when I stop trying to ‘get it right’
that something true begins to appear;
carried through by the stories animals
have shared with me.
Here, I share that unfolding journey—
messy, honest, without judgment or expectation,
and always surprising.

Hi and Welcome back.
In my last post, I spoke about beginning this blog. I thought I’d follow that by sharing a little more about how I arrived here—and why animals and art continue to guide me.

Personally Speaking ~ Art. Kindness. Connection.

This journal began with an idea seeded from my own experiences, something I thought might be worth sharing—that animals can open something in us. Something real. Something deeply human.
Over time, I’ve come to see that what starts as a simple moment of connection with an animal often leads to a deeper shift in me. A surrender. Letting go of what I think I know. Seeing more clearly. Being in the world differently.

My paintings and my words are a response to those moments. They’re not about capturing a likeness—they’re about feeling into the essence of things. Honestly, it happens by accident. It’s not something I can make happen. One day I just noticed: there was something that happened between me and the canvas.

And yet—so often I get in my own way. I’m a great one for trying to get it right, to make it perfect. I’m sure you know that one!

It’s taken years to recognise this, to actually pause, and to let go. For a long time, even though I knew better, I would still ‘battle on’. Ridiculous, really—the battle with the canvas! Now I trust more. I begin in stillness. I listen.

When I spend time with animals in sanctuary settings, something happens in that quiet space—something I don’t always have words for. But I feel it. And somehow, it finds its way onto the canvas.

This isn’t about creating art to impress or decorate. It’s about surrendering my ego. Allowing my skill to simply turn up. Letting there be mess, and journey, and trust—until something real emerges. Each canvas teaches me as I allow it to flesh itself out.

In my private mind, I believe the animals I paint come through the canvas to communicate with me. I haven’t quite sorted that yet—it’s a little off-centre to share. But truly, each story carries a personal experience that has stayed with me.

Bottom line—you don’t need to ‘understand’ the art in any particular way. Just spend time with it. Notice what it brings up in you. There’s no right interpretation—only an invitation.
If my paintings stir an emotional response in you, that amazes me.

There’s so much more in this. So much we don’t know about energy. Being open is a good start I guess.

So for now, this is my way of sharing what matters to me:
Kindness. Connection. The vagaries of our human existence.

Thank you for being here—it’s a gift to connect with you.
Stay warm. [ it’s winter here] and keep creative …….blaze