Art is soul medicine.
Art is so important for our health as humans: both our ability to create it, and to be surrounded by it. The creation of art can be an emotional release, an exploration of an idea (often aiding in self-discovery), or a visual form of affirmation.
When you create an artwork of any sort, you are not just creating a piece of art; you are creating your life (though it took me years to realize this). Both the power and the amount of choice in that act are significant.
Creating art has always been my passion. I feel deeply connected to the life around me, and draw inspiration especially from forest animals and plants native to Canada, as well as from my own dreams and the symbolic language of the subconscious mind. I work a lot with dream language, which is the same symbolic language of the tarot: a tool I also work with and am both fascinated and humbled by.
I create benchmarks and talismans in paint, as encouraging reminders of personal strength and wildness. In this way I chart my growth, process my past, remind myself of the power of the present, and create my future.
I graduated from McMaster University’s fine art program with honours and have been showing my artwork in galleries, festivals, cafés, and restaurants for 15 years. I also paint murals, create album art for musicians, and other commercial work.
May these images serve to remind you of the softly-spoken words of your own heart.
CANDACE O BELL
VISUAL ARTIST