While 2015 was a successful year in my art career, it was 2014 that was most memorable for me. In the first week of January, a Vancouver gallery invited me to participate in a May exhibit; Arabella Magazine asked to feature my work in their special Love of Flowers edition; and Canada Post contacted me to submit two paintings for their 2015 Flower Series stamps. Then in May, the Royal Canadian Mint commissioned me to design a $20 collector’s coin. In June, I was informed I had received both National commissions.
When people ask me the secret to my success, I often find myself giving them the “cocktail party” answer: I worked hard; I got lucky. It seems this is what most people want to hear – that I worked hard, so therefore I deserve the success. But while working hard is part of it, it’s not the whole story.