Jumping into ink

A few years after graduation, a fellow artist friend from my college reached out to me while I was in living Spain. Sharing their exciting news of a corporate job offer in Toronto. Naturally the chat swayed in and out of dreams of Toronto and nostalgia for when we used to live in the same city and attend exhibitions together. During the chat they (presumably jokingly) said I should also move to Toronto and honestly I’ve always embraced adventure. Without hesitation, I decided to move to Toronto to help them settle and ease their anxieties about homesickness, and enjoy a new continent for myself.

Panned or not, our first trip to buy groceries ended up being detoured into an art supply shop. I mean, you gotta feed the soul. The art store had supplies I was never used to having at hand which resulted in the getting the opportunity to explore a new city and new art at the same time. I picked up acrylic and alcohol ink and let go of the constraints of previous work, which ended up becoming a body of work titled 'Burgeon'. Burgeon became my series of Toronto. I connected with Canadian street artists through it and they introduced me to other creatives and galleries, allowing me the opportunity to exhibit throughout the city.

Ultimately, the connections made and shows I got to take part in through this work birthed suaimhneas-calm and reminds me of the importance to recharge and take stock and embrace and create art without pressure. The reminder that allowing for freedom without expectation can result in something beautiful.