Memory Lane-Humble Beginings

The picture quality of the photos I will be adding to this post is not the best, I didn't even know what a digital camera was at the time.

The first two photos are of my very first mural. I painted it on my apartment wall when I lived in Collingwood, Ontario. I always knew I could paint, but this was the very first time I had ever held a paintbrush in my hand with the intention to paint something besides the colour on the wall.

After this, I began to experiment.  I created a giant chess set for my brother Danny out of wood pieces, an MDF board, some molding and paint that I bought from the store that I was working at at the time
called COTTAGE COUNTRY CRAFTS (they unfortunately do not have a website).

I also tried drawing out a design before I painted it onto a masonite board. Here is the preliminary drawing.

And now the finished product with some very fuzzy close-ups.

Notice if you will the hat reflection in the mirror. It was the first time I had attempted something so detailed.

Then, my Landlord at the time Judy Garbutt (Brian Garbutt Construction) asked me to paint a mural for her along one of the staircases in the building.  I had of course   never attempted something quite so ambitious, I am not ashamed to say, I WAS TERRIFIED.

I did however say YES!  Here are a few photos of that project.

This series of photos is for a personalized bedroom for a little boy, obviously there was a nautical theme.

The next photo is a huge frame, with a stencil design surrounding it. I tried to create an airy backdrop to hang paintings in.

In 2005, I moved to Mississauga, Ontario. I wanted to make our condo look a bit more homey (it was a dreadful white, YUCK). I decided to create a faux brick and plaster look on the walls, I also discovered my love for vintage posters at this time.

Here are three photos of the completed project.

This is a vintage ad for umbrellas by Leonetto Cappiello.

Remember that these are some of my very first attempts. They are very naive and flawed, but that, as my uncle Andrew Bertin (fantastic multi-media artist) says,"It is the flaws that makes a piece of art unique"!

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you, like me, are one of those people who feels in their heart that they can paint,....YOU CAN! Just don't be afraid to mess up, that is how we all learn to better ourselves and hone our skills.

NOTE: Sometimes when you make a mistake it can actually lead you to a new technique that could become part of your signature style that sets you apart from the rest.

Until next time, happy creating!

Bye for now.