Souvenirs of Canada Day

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Day 2014

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Day 2014

Happy belated Canada and Independence Day to my Canadian and American friends! Canada’s been my home for the past 40 years; it’s hard to believe the time’s gone by so quickly. On our first Canada Day here, I remember my […]

Reflections: Collaging with Your Camera

When it comes to collaging there are many ways to layer your images. In the real world we can use mediums (paints, inks, etc.) and materials (ie. papers, tissue, transparencies, etc.) to achieve layered effects. In the virtual world, software such as Photoshop allows us to do the same using a concept called “layers” with […]

A Beautiful Mess: A Hands-off Approach to Collaging

Each time I look around my studio, I see great potential brewing. In the midst of the chaos, new works are forming themselves without me even realizing it. Collages are coming together on my work table and with a little nudge and tweak* or two from me; I hope they’ll eventually make intriguing pieces. In […]

June 2014 Bits & Bytes

The Shenkman Art Centre’s Significant Contributions Installation (detail views), June 2014, Ottawa, Canada

Significant Contributions Project

This Friday I had a chance to visit Significant Contributions, an installation and public art project I’ve been blogging about, organized by artist Karen Goetzinger. This breath-taking series of towering structures is located in the main lobby […]

A Stroll through My New Neighbourhood

“Today I have grown taller from walking with the trees.” — Karle Wilson Baker

Today I thought I’d share some photos of my new neighbourhood with you, in particular, some views of the trails, walkways and beach I’ve discovered along the Ottawa River where I live. I’m fortunate to have a calm and inspiring view […]

Tapestries of Time: Refrigerator Door Art

While reviewing photos of our old house this month, my heart warmed at the sight of our old kitchen refrigerator door covered with paper paraphernalia. Perhaps you have a similar ritual of posting things to your refrigerator door. In meditating its collage-like surface which offered brief glimpses of my life, I felt it resembled a […]

Lessons of the Heart

Last summer I found myself drawn to the symbol of the heart. While sifting through fragments, I was captivated by a drawing of an anatomical heart in Gray’s Anatomy; I decided that I’d like to use it to speak of the recent pain and loss I’d suffered. I put it aside hoping to find […]

My Latest Zentangle Collages

Michelle Casey, “Hands 2”, Mixed Media Collage, 4 x 4 inches, April 2014

Michelle Casey, “The Universe within Me”, Mixed Media Collage, 4 x 4 inches, April 2014

My apologies for leaving you blogless last week. Today I thought I’d share some recent pieces I’ve been working on with you. […]

Tales from the Observer: Make the Mall Your Living Studio!

Spirograph by Lupsiberg

For a decade now I’ve been frequenting a number of shopping malls in our city. While I enjoy the solitude of working in my studio, I often feel the urge to get out and be amongst people. It might seem strange, but I’ve found I get more writing and reading […]

Art: Like a Prayer

“Praying for a Harvest Moon”, 2010 (pictured here) was my first attempt at making a visual prayer. It invoked my fervent desire to attain my creative goals as I approached the mid-point of my life.

The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion […]