BIT OF BACKGROUND

I've lived in the Village of Osgoode, south of Ottawa, Ontario, since May 1990.  It's truly a beautiful place to call home!

Originally from Hull, Quebec (where I never learned to speak French despite living in the province of Quebec and having a French mom), our family moved to Lanark, Ontario when I was 13, where I attended high school in nearby Perth at the Perth and District Collegiate Institute.  I graduated in June 1976.  I hated high school with a passion!  That's a long long story!

After high school, I worked at odd jobs for a couple of years before attending Algonguin College in 1979 in the Commercial Arts program.  In 1981, I got a job as a graphic artist at a small printing company in Ottawa where I worked until 1988.  I got married the same year and moved to Osgoode in May 1990, giving birth to my beautiful daughter Michelle in November of that year.

I stayed home to raise our daughter, working occasionally at part time jobs throughout those years.  In 1999, I opened Dab 'n' Doodle Design, my little art studio tucked away in one corner of Sweet Peas Pantry.  It was then that I started painting.  Being a graphic artist, the only fine art I had done was in pencil or pen & ink.  I decided to use acrylics to paint.

In 2001 my sister Barbara McAdorey wrote and published a children's Christmas book, "Icicles To Miracles", based on the great ice storm of 1998 that hit eastern Ontario, western Quebec and parts of New York.  It is based on the true meaning of Christmas.  She asked me to illustrate the book, which I gladly accepted.  It was my first published piece of work.

I have 3 sisters and 1 brother.  My sisters live in the Ottawa area and my brother lives in Los Angeles.  Originally 1 of 6 kids, my eldest brother John died in 1980 at the age of 33.  He left behind a wife and 3 young children.  I have 5 nieces, 3 nephews, 2 great-nieces and 4 great-nephews!  My parents were each one of 9 children, so needless to say, I have many aunts, uncles and cousins ... 51 first cousins to be exact!

My mother passed away in November 2001 after battling cancer for just over a year.  She was 77.  My dad passed away January 2005.  He was 83 and had been having mini-strokes for a period of time and I guess he was called to join his Master.  I still haven't come to terms that both my parents are no longer with us.  It consoles me however, to know they are with each other again.  I'm sure my brother John enjoys their company as well.

To know more about my boring life in real time, see "My Journal"