HELLO & WELCOME
~connecting with people through art, animals and story

Hi, I’m Blaze.
This is my invitation into the stories, paintings,
and animals that have influenced me.

I love to paint and write, exploring the lessons
life keeps offering me. Painting animals has a way of bringing those lessons to life — the process keeps me open and listening to insights and reflections.

This isn’t polished or perfect —
it’s simply where I share my experiences,
just as they are.

Sometimes Life just Presses the Pause Button

You know those times when life just… pauses?
Not in a dramatic way — more like when the background noise suddenly drops, and you realise you can hear yourself a little more clearly.
That’s where I am right now.
Just listening.
Letting things unfold in their own time.

The Stories Behind the Art

Most of what I paint comes from moments of deep connection with animals.
Each one has their own presence, their own story, their own emotional landscape.

It’s rarely predictable.
Every encounter is different, full of small moments that stay with me — shaped, always, by wherever I happen to be in my own inner world.

Animals have been part of my life for as long as I can remember.
Not as “subjects,” but as companions.
Beings who have touched my heart in ways I never expected.

It’s not only their beauty — it’s their honesty. Their unfiltered, grounded way of being.
Around them, I find myself returning to something true and unguarded in me.

Sharing the Connection

I share these experiences because I hope that even people who may never have this kind of closeness — or don’t necessarily seek it — might still recognise something familiar through a painting.
Maybe even a small reflection of their own story.

These words from Jill Robinson of Animals Asia have stayed with me:

“Animals have emotions every bit as profound as ours –
and our duty to them all is to recognise this, help them,
and work for the day when we can look into their eyes
without shame.”

Her honesty continues to guide me.

Finding My Own Way

For years, I tried to fit myself into the gallery world — the expectations, the definitions, the idea that an artist needed a clear purpose laid out neatly.
I did the outreach, tried to explain the “why,” tried to make it all fit.

But eventually it just felt too loud.
Too performative.
Too far from the quiet place my art actually comes from.

A friend and mentor, Susan Seddon Boulet, once told me:
“Take care of your art, and it will take care of you.”

I think I finally understand what she meant.
These days, what matters most is being true to myself — with life, with the animals, with the creative process that moves through me.

Showing Up

At my best, everything I paint and write comes from that softer, heart-led place.
And when I share my work, it’s not as an expert — just as someone learning to listen more deeply, day by day.

I truly believe animals can open our hearts in ways we don’t expect.
That’s why I keep sharing these stories and these paintings.

Every encounter reminds me that kindness isn’t a dramatic gesture or a grand act.
It’s simply how we show up for one another.

And maybe — just maybe — open hearts really can help create a more peaceful world.

Love these words – “Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.” — Chief Seattle

Thank you for being here, it’s a gift to share my journey with you!!!.
Keep creating in whatever way is yours…blaze