After over 30 years as a couple and trauma therapist, I transitioned to full-time art in 2020 and relocated to Muskoka. During the pandemic, time spent with family at our lakeside cottage reignited my lifelong passion for drawing and painting. That turning point led me to study at Sheridan College and later at OCAD University, where I’m completing a BFA in Drawing and Painting as a mature student.My practice blends photo-encaustic (beeswax) mixed media and abstract impressionism to explore how the autonomic nervous system and Earth’s climate systems mirror each other under stress. Drawing on my clinical background, I use tactile surfaces, layered imagery, and the natural world to visualize both rupture and repair, inviting reflection on emotional resilience, ecological transformation, and the healing power of reconnection.This new chapter feels like a natural evolution. I’ve always helped people process emotions and relationships, now I do it through art.