Evening drives have always been my favourite. The hustle and bustle of the day has decreased, and most of the people are on their way home. Ribbons of traffic snaking through the core of the city, all headed to the 417. Hundreds of twinkling lights turn on one by one as the sun sets, giving a sparkling glow to the city. Listening to a variety of music that can be found in the ‘chill’ section on Spotify. The type of music that creates big open spaces for feelings and ideas to run wild in your head. And all of a sudden, it’s dark out.

 

For years I’ve been wanting to paint a series featuring Ottawa, my home. I had been toying with a few ideas, but none seemed to excite me. Until one day I was looking through the pictures that I had been taking during these evening drives, and that’s when it clicked. I started exploring this new idea, translating the mood of those quiet drives into a visual expression.