"Oh, God, what have I seen? Where have I been? Something has spoken to the very soul of me, wonderful, mighty, not of this world. Chords way down in my being have been touched.  Dumb notes have struck chords of wonderful tone. Something has called out of somewhere.  Something in me is trying to answer."​​

                                                                  -Emily Carr, in her journal "Hundreds and Thousands"

Emily Carr's reaction to first seeing the paintings of The Group of Seven was very similar to my own the first time I saw her paintings hanging in the Vancouver Art Gallery instead of just looking at them as reproductions in a book. Years later, upon visiting the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, Ontario, I was also enchanted by the powerful paintings that had so moved her, many years earlier.  

For whatever reason (I've given up trying to figure out why), the works of Emily Carr, followed closely by the Group of Seven, especially Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Fred Varley and A.J. Casson, have inspired me in ways that I cannot explain in words. Camille Pissaro, Vincent Van Gogh, and others who painted in an Impressionistic style can also be added to my list of "mentors".



More contemporary artists whom I have learned from, and been inspired by, are many.   At the top of that listr are Ken Danby, Roy Henry Vickers, Ted Harrison (as much for his quirky approach to life and art as for his paintings), Tony Onley, Daphne Odjig, and Robert Bateman.  These artists, past and present, come from varied backgrounds and cultures, their painterly approaches different and unique to each.  Yet, they contain one thing common to all; a drive and a passion to put paint to canvas or paper in order to show how they see the world.   This they share with other artists whether they have found fame, work in obscurity, or are just beginning to feel the drive, the urge to create.  And this applies to artists of all disciplines, not just those who work with brush and paint.  For all, there is a wish to not only make a mark, but to create a unique beauty unlike anything that has been created before.



I always travel with brushes and paints, pens and sketchbooks, and have always had at least a small space at home that I can call "my studio".  Seven years ago, I bought a tiny house across the street which now serves a dual purpose; painting and pottery.  Having a space dedicated only to one's creativity has made a difference in my output, and hopefully, in the quality of my work.  

-Mel Malinowski, May, 2016