It wasn’t too long after settling into my career, did things take a bit of a dramatic turn; I gave birth to my daughter in 2010 and fairly immediately suffered a debilitating postpartum depression that had me hospitalized for a total of 6 months during her first year. This depression lasted two years, resulting in me not being able to return to my full-time job after maternity leave.

I fought hard for my mental health, and part of that was understanding that I too, had to practice what I preached in terms of using art/creating to help heal.

I decided to start picking up the paint brushes again, working on random acrylic paintings and also trying my hand at furniture upcycling. As simple as it sounds, this new found passion was enough to light the spark that I needed in my life.

In the years that followed, I rebuilt my confidence through creating, and challenging myself in new and unique ways. As my mind healed, and my skills were being honed, I started to want to share this type of hope with others who may be struggling too. To inspire with my story, and also to visually inspire through stirring the viewers emotions.

I have been oil-painting now full time since 2020, and have been incredibly humbled by the response to my work. I am honoured to be a part of several Canadian galleries, and to have my work in collections across North America and Europe. I feel like with each painting I ship out, I send a little bit more hope out into the world.

Thank you for sharing my journey,

Amanda