I work and live in beautiful Bear River, Nova Scotia with. I paint on canvas with acrylic, oils, and watercolour – whatever inspires me in the studio that I share with silversmith Larry Knox, my life partner.  I also weave and explore the surprises of monoprinting. And I garden, volunteer in the community and count my good luck every day.

Painting in the Historic Gardens in Annapolis Royal during the annual ‘Paint the Town’ event in August. photo by Trish Fry.

For most of my life, I lived in my hometown, Toronto. My father was passionate about politics, writing and printing. He operated an enormous Linotype machine so I grew up with a love of the smell of ink and a deep appreciation for type and the craft of typesetting. My mother was a painter and writer and gardener and I owe much to her, including my inquisitiveness and the ‘normalness’ of having art materials around the house.   I was lucky to grow up in a house with art supplies and books and lots of conversation. In my late teenaged years in the 1960′s,  I attended a fulltime 3 year fine art and fine craft program that still operates today in Toronto. It was wonderful to be introduced to  many different mediums – clay, sculpture, printmaking, weaving and painting at the Art Center at Central Technical School.

From there I travelled to the German Democratic Republic to spend three years immersed in a new culture and language in socialist Berlin.  Those years had a profound influence on my world view, my artistic development and helped me to develop an understanding and compassion for others who find themselves ‘a stranger in a strange place.’ During my time at the Kunsthochschule Weissensee, Berlin I painted under the guidance of Professor Wolfram Schubert, a superb painter and printmaker.

After returning to Canada, I met Larry, my life partner and together we pursued art in the spaces that weren’t filled with raising 2 creative children and working 9 -5.

Thirty years later, in 2007 our children were grown and Larry and I were able to leave the city behind and to resume chasing the dream of painting and silversmithing fulltime in a rural village of artists in eastern Canada.

I feel most fortunate to be able to paint my surroundings here in this beautiful province of Nova Scotia.