Wildrosefarm.ca

May 2025

Wild Rose Farm in Dufferin County, northwest of Toronto, was the perfect place for an artist residency in early spring. With the idea of creating an eastern version of my Mother Tree series, I was particularly happy to have a place to work that would facilitate the making of a new body of work. It’s not often that I arrive at a residency with such a specific idea, but on this occasion, that’s what happened.

The farm is located in an area of rolling hills that were turned into a forest plantation many years prior. The farm also has many acres of native maple forest, and that was what I’d come for. Early spring in a maple forest is a magical time, as ephemeral wildflowers abound before the canopy of the trees leafs out. Trilliums are one of those flowers, but there were many other varieties as well.

Early mornings were spent wandering and gathering in the woods; afternoons found me in the studio, transforming piles of branches and wilting flowers into landscape compositions ready for the camera. It was wonderful to have both access to the woods and a large studio with electricity and connectivity, which made it possible to work with ease.

The weather was good, the work flowed, and the evenings were short, as I fell into bed happily exhausted from the day’s work.

The only sour note was the discovery of an engorged tick when I got home. A couple of trips to the hospital, followed by antibiotics, and it was dealt with, thankfully.

Maple Tree series: Maple Forest Tryptic, archival pigment on Baryta, 33 x 72″, edition of 3 plus AP, 2025

Mother Tree series: Maple Forest with, Birch and Marsh Marigold, archival pigment on Baryta, 40 x 32″, edition of 3 plus AP, 2025.