I began painting after my Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2016, as an ‘escape’ from my reality. Painting has become my happy place and an anxiety reliever. For a time, I can be lost in the creativity. I enjoy the process of creating and love to see what will evolve when I begin painting.
I generally use acrylics on 8×10 canvases. I choose the colors depending on my mood at the time so there isn’t necessarily a particular inspiration for each piece other than color. I do not know what the finished piece will look like or how long the process will take. I just experiment with colors and shapes to create abstract pieces. At some point, a painting will evolve, and the finishing touches will define what it has become.
I paint for my enjoyment, but I also love hearing what others might “see” in my paintings. Two of my paintings were copied, printed, framed, and displayed by Parkinson’s BC in the Vancouver Library in August 2018. In August 2021, several of my paintings were showcased in the Parkinson’s Canada Online Art Exhibition.
Much like an abstract painting, each person living with Parkinson’s is a unique story. We are dealing with similar issues but the picture that is our life, is uniquely ours.
