Ever feel the need to try something different? My first love will always be portraits, with landscapes coming up a close second, but I admit that I also have a soft spot for geometric abstract paintings. This is something I only came around to later in life (and I’m sure that my teenage self would be horrified by that fact if they could see into the future, but what did she know, anyways?). As I stare down the barrel of a another seven months of Montreal winter – and a socially-distanced one, to boot! – I see no reason why I can’t stretch the old artistic muscles in new, unfamiliar directions.

Don’t let the brush marks fool you – this is all digital! ArtRage is an inexpensive software that does the best job, in my opinion, of imitating real paint strokes, and while my husband and I are still working from home (and I am consigned to the diningroom while he takes over the office/studio), digital will continue to be the way to go for me.

Hard-edged abstraction might not be your cup of tea, but even so, I urge you to check out the work of Carmen Herrera, a Cuban abstract painter who only ever received recognition for her work when she was well into her 90’s (she’s currently 105 years young, and still going strong)! I love her work the more minimalist it gets. The fact that she kept at it regardless of whether or not the official gatekeepers took notice of her is truly inspirational!