Collection: Oil Painting

Head in the Clouds

Status: Ongoing

I am compelled to paint the clouds I look at every day from my apartment window. Clouds are magic to me, and seeing them constantly in motion, constantly changing shape, size, colour and form is invigorating. 

Looking at the clouds is medicine. I prioritize my ability to see the sky when finding a home. I will happily drive at 6 am in the summer to watch the sunrise. Maybe this is the Saskatchewan/land of the living skies in me.

When the pandemic hit, the conversation around policy for public spaces in Toronto heightened. Public park bathrooms remained closed for months after the science had shown that being outside at parks was the safest activity. The decades of prioritizing cars over pedestrians was more palpable. Living in an apartment with few windows went from being not a big deal to a huge deal. Getting outside, for me, became increasingly difficult with a combination of fear of the pandemic and a growing depression. Seeing the clouds out of my window helped.

It helped so much, I started taking pictures to look back at exceptional cloud moments. I have amassed a large collection of cloud photography. The photos never do the original moment justice. I felt compelled to try and capture the original awe by creating oil paintings using my photography collection as source imagery.

Being able to see the clouds from the comfort of your home all day long is such a damn privilege. I’m offering these original oil paintings at a pay-what-you-can price range ($20-$150) for anyone who could use more windows, more clouds, more space.