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Introducing the Personal Portraits Workshop
There’s something quietly powerful about a face.
A glance. A soft smile. The set of the jaw.
These subtle expressions tell stories we often can’t put into words.
Before I ever picked up a paintbrush or tore paper for collage,
I was behind a camera.
My first creative career was in portrait photography—capturing the essence of people in the entertainment industry from my Toronto studio.
That’s where my love of the human face began.
Faces fascinated me then, and they still do now.
They hold so much—joy, resilience, longing, strength.
They tell the truth, even when we try to hide it.
Years later, when I stepped away from the camera and into the world of mixed media,
that fascination stayed with me.
I began creating art with my hands—paper, glue, paint, texture—but I didn’t dare draw a face. Not really. Not for years.
I told myself I couldn’t.
I avoided it by turning my figures away...
offering the back of a head, or a faceless silhouette.
And for a while, that was enough.
But something shifted in 2021.
I felt a pull.
A whisper.
A quiet challenge to lean into the discomfort and explore the face again—
but this time, with my own hands.
So I declared it:
My Year of the Face
I started a journal just for portraits.
I played.
I stumbled.
I painted eyes closed, over and over.
I redrew noses.
I gave up on mouths.
And I kept going.
Thankfully, mixed media is a forgiving friend—
layers upon layers, each one a chance to begin again.
That year changed everything.
I didn’t just learn how to create faces—
I learned how to see them again.
I remembered how a tilt of the head or the light in the eyes could carry emotion.
I watched characters emerge from the canvas slowly, like memories coming into focus.
And now, a few years later, faces are at the heart of my creative practice.
I’ve sold countless mixed media portraits.
I’ve witnessed how deeply people connect to them—
how a face in art can feel like recognition, like truth, like home.
Still, it’s not always easy.
Getting the eyes to align,
the mouth to sit just right,
the shape of the face to feel balanced—
it can be frustrating.
Many artists give up before they begin.
But there are ways to make it easier.
What helped me?
☑️ Using photo references as a foundation
☑️ Mixing facial features from different sources
☑️ Loosening my grip on perfection
☑️ Letting each face find its own voice
These tools changed the game for me.
The face that emerges might not look like the original photo,
but it carries a story just the same.
This is the work I now feel called to share.
If you’ve avoided faces in your art…
If you’ve spent hours trying to fix one eye…
If you’ve layered and relayered and still felt stuck…
You’re not alone.
And I’ve created something for you.
🎨 Personal Portraits is here.
It’s more than a workshop.
It’s a guided experience into soulful, expressive mixed media portraiture.
I’ll walk beside you—step by step—
as we bring portraits to life with collage, color, and emotion.
You don’t need to know how to draw.
You just need to be open.
Let’s begin with a face.
Yours, perhaps.
The Personal Portraits Waitlist Is Now Open
If this journey speaks to you…
If you're ready to explore faces, stories, and the quiet magic of mixed media art—
I’d love to welcome you into the next round of Personal Portraits.
Join the waitlist now and receive:
A $100 discount when registration opens
A chance to receive your spot completely free (available to those who register within the first 48 hours)
Early access—you’ll be the first to know when doors open
This special offering is only available before registration begins.
Click here to join the waitlist
Let your portrait journey begin.
There’s something beautiful waiting to unfold.
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With heart,
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Nourish Your Creativity: Download My Free Creative Wellness Guide
Next Live Workshop – Personal Portraits: Join the Waitlist
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I live and create on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg peoples, lands that remain under their original stewardship. I honor their enduring connection to this place and their care for it over generations.
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