Biography

Norma is a West Coast artist living in Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island. She and her husband sail the Gulf Islands where she gathers images and inspiration.

She works in watercolour, acrylics, and sculpture.   Her passion is the human condition, whether it is to portray strength or frailty or to imbue and excite the viewer.   Some viewers say it is in the eyes that Norma brings her subjects to life. Others feel they are drawn into the depth and shadows of her West Coast images and  new signature "Emerge Art" pieces that combine sculpture with painting.   

Norma enjoys challenging subject material, images that reflect meaning and emotion.  She has traveled widely and has a particular interest in the social condition and living environment of various cultures.

A Self-taught artist, Norma is an active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists and a  member of the Visions Art Tours.    Her submission of "Guardian of the Cormorant Caves"  to the 2008 Summer Juried show for the Federation of Canadian Arts won an "Award of Excellence" .

Norma presented one of her three dimensional works “Sol” to Jason Nett, the Composer in Residence for the Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra.    and has been appointed the “Exclusive Artist”  at  Jasmine’s,  Cowichan Valley’s Fine Dining Restaurant. 

Norma’s Background in the Arts///

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Norma’s interest in drawing and painting began in her early Victoria, BC years when spending long summer hours at the family’s cottage on an island in Shawnigan Lake.  She began drawing and painting what she saw at the lake with anything she could find available.  Life circumstances changed and Norma’s love of art was put aside for many years until she became the Development Officer for the Nanaimo Festival Society in its inaugural year. 

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Norma devoted many years pioneering and managing a professional marionette theatre company that became nationally known.  The company was set up as a non-profit society to serve the community.  She is known as a Master puppeteer, skilled as a performer, director and producer.  As the Company’s artist, Norma further developed her artistic skills in acrylics, sculpting, set design and prop building.   

Trained and certified in the U.S. as a mind/body medicine therapist and instructor with an ongoing practice over a period of 20 years, Norma began using the art of marionettry in therapeutic healing.  She has worked with children and adults including the terminally ill.  She has created developmental workshops and programs for individuals, organizations and communities using art, drama and puppetry. Norma worked with over 40 teens when contracted to develop and implement a youth suicide intervention program she named, “Staying Alive”, which was later defined by Health Canada Official as one of the “best practices” in North America.  An article on her "Staying Alive" program appeared in "Puppeteers of America" magazine.

Norma has appeared several times on BCTV, has appeared  nationally on CBC’s Wayne Rostad’s, “On the Road Again”,  and has been interviewed by CBC’s Sheryl MacKay on North by Northwest.