Colour

For me, the summer months are about as inspiring as that perky socialite from high school. Sure, there's endless enthusiasm and a golden tan, but very little substance. I've learned that I need a little more depth and intensity in order to be creative.

The warmer weather does tend to change my colour sensability, though, and I find my summer palette contains colours that I wouldn't normally work with. It must be all that sunlight. Before I travelled to the Mediterranean, I had heard that the intensity of the sun changes your colour perception. This was surely true in Greece, where the blues of the heaving sea seemed impossibly beautiful and I felt as though I should invest in an all-white wardrobe. Who needs the company of other colours when you find the perfect blue? The closest I've ever come to finding that 'Mediterranean turquoise' here at home is by peering into the waters of Tobermory. When the lighting is right, it's like discovering a gem.

Guelph doesn't have much blue to speak of, but her sunsets are outstanding. Perhaps that explains the hues of this latest piece...relief print, acrylic and pencil crayon on papier.