Three words, made out of glue, stand out on the page: ‘Resilient’, ‘Hope’, and Love’.

Themes: butterflies symbolize transformation, clocks symbolize time, flowers symbolize growth.

A painting of a brown face with white, blank eyes. Half of the background of the painting is white, and the other half is black. On the face, the words, ‘anxiety, guilt, alone, pain, imbalance, angry, weak disabled.’

A mixed media representation of the artist’s life with brain injury. The left side is a collage of coloured pictures of the artist as a child and teenager, pre and post brain injury. Above the collage are the words ‘The Shell’.

In the middle, there is an image of a person with a multi coloured brain with the words ‘Life with a brain injury’ in front. Above this is the artist’s name, ‘Ciara’.

A painting – in the top left corner is a blue sky, with the sun and golden sparkles, on the top right there is a black and grey sky with red lightening bolts. Under the blue sky is a white road that says ‘no judgement’. Below the dark sky is a white road that says ‘judged’. The bottom left is green. In the middle is a white road with a purple car. On the bottom right is brown ground.

Kanine Kaleidoscope: 

A painting of a dog, looking with curiosity at the viewer, tilting its head. The dog has long thin ear, and is dark blue. Its jowls are green and yellow. The dog has a streak of brown – orange fur going down the middle of its front. The rest of the dog has dark blue fur. The background of the painting is multicoloured shapes.

Autumn Gold:

A golden feather on a yellow background. The feather is made of imitation gold leaf.

Take Five

Take Five features a photo of a painted number five in the middle. A background of textured metal in rust and orange completes the picture.

About the 5 minutes it takes to regulate the nervous system when symptoms flare up.

_____ in Three Minutes

About putting effort into a long term goal starting with 3 minutes a day. Guitar in 3 min, etc.

__________ in Three Minutes features a painted number three in the centre. A background of purple, green and white streaky metal completes the piece.

A painting of a mother hugging her child. They are both looking and smiling at the viewer. The child is standing on a stool. On the top left of the painting there is a multi-coloured butterfly, on the bottom left there is a heart with a black angled line protruding from it like a heart beat. On the right side is a depiction of half of a multi-coloured brain.

Abstract images with a blend of different shapes and colours.

‘God’s Creation’ 

Image of a brain split in two. One half of the brain is filled with vibrant beautiful flowers, with a watering can sprinkling water droplets onto the flowers.

‘God’s Creation’ is a description of me before my MVA as a Manager, Associate Director, in the left of the brain and on the right side is me after. Creative and more into the arts.

Born Again

Image of a brain split in two. One half of the brain is grey, and the other half is multicolor. On the right side of the image there is a garden with tall pink and purple flowers.March 2002 a MVA changed my life from being a logical individual to sensitive creative person.  I was in a high-level Managerial position that required analytical planning, teaching and strategic thinking for a busy retail industry. After my accident I discovered talents and interest that I didn’t know existed. I now have a love for the arts. I am creative and love the simple things. Drawing, Painting, Cooking, Drumming, Gardening and all things environmental.

Bright and vibrant multi-coloured abstract painting

Church Mindedness

Abstract painting of a woman with a red house situated on her neck and her head is poking out the front of the house.

Water

Jesus standing over a man with his face painted white and the top of his head exposed.

Sketch of three individuals close together and smiling. The sketch is black and white, with scratches of colour drawn over the three people.

Mind Over Mind Identified

Painting of a man with three distinct heads showing three different facial expressions. There are two men in each corner of the painting, reaching down towards the heads.

This is a self portrait of the internal struggle, after my Acquired Brain Injury, between Evil and Good (I wanted to go for a sort of “muted, but also vibrant” colour palette of Warms and Cools). The heads on either side represent the reference to “the Angel and Devil on each Shoulder.” On each top corner of the canvas, there are these figures (who have almost “shapeshifted”, and taken on my form). The top right (where the face is mostly in light is GOOD). The top left (where the face’s eyes and lips are covered in shadows is BAD). The main subject (or character) in this painting is myself, and so the multiple heads depict a sort of “confused, reassured, doubtful” expression. The constant battle of Temptation vs. Faith.

Feelings on Words 

Close up painting of a man under water, blowing bubbles. There is an image of a brain floating in front of his forehead.

This is a self portrait of the internal struggle, after my Acquired Brain Injury, not able to pick up on Verbal / Nonverbal Cues (I wanted to go for a very sort of “washed out, muted” colour palette of Warms and Cools). Depicted in this painting is a sort of “outer body experience” (with my face neutral, my eyes opened wide, unconsciously watching the viewer, as my brain – shown as this “surrealistic symbol”, floats out and in front of my forehead). From my minds eye (as you the viewer, and I, watch myself drown in the water, with bubbles escaping to the surface), it feels at times that not picking up on (or understanding) Verbal / Nonverbal Cues, is like “Running around like a headless chicken” (which is depicted very subtly in the top left, first of two canvas’).

My Brain

Drawing of a brain that is pink, purple and lime green. There is a word bubble pointing at the lime green area which says, “Frontal Lobe Short Term Memory Loss”.

This is a drawing of my brain that is pink, purple and lime green. There is a word bubble pointing at the lime green area which says, “Frontal Lobe Short Term Memory Loss”. My biggest downfall from my aneurism was short term memory loss, but thankfully I am doing a lot better and my memory has improved a lot! I painted that part of my brain green since the green colour symbolizes brain aneurism awareness.

My Teacher's Brain

Colourful drawing of two vertical, elongated shapes with images drawn within the shapes.

This picture shows my brain and the kind of person I am after my brain injury. On the left side of my brain I put symbols of being a teacher, since I am a teacher. On the other side of my brain I put symbols of things that I love, which is music!

Birch

A picture of a giant birch tree, shot from the ground up.

Spring Flowers

Close up photograph of white and purple flowers sprouting from the ground.

Images drawn on different sides of a being lampshade: mountain peaks with the sun setting behind them, with birds flying, a butterfly and green diamond shapes on the edges. Words on the bottom of the shade say: bravery with integrity with with kindness with grace with patience with empathy with honour and with honesty and love.

Joseph was somebody I met at a Mental Health Crisis Centre. He is a small, Black man who, when he observed me being poorly treated by one of the crisis counsellors, saw me crying and understood all too well the pain of being treated dismissively.

Observing what he saw as wrong caused him great frustration and anger. He was very clear about his expectations of the employee returning and righting the wrong.

They refused and his anger escalated. I was concerned that his care over my situation would have him ejected. I invited him to talk with me in the beautiful sitting room as I worked on a piece of art.

I talked with Joseph for a long time. I learned his story of poverty and difficulty. I learned that he lived alone, with a bipolar diagnosis.

He self isolated, and lived on the streets for a number of years. In our talk he called himself a kind of monster and was apologetic.

My heart broke.

I told him what I saw him as a butterfly. One that had just come out of the Chrysalis, still drying out its wings. Without the right conditions, a butterfly wings cannot dry and it can never fly fully.

The lampshade is the beacon I wish social services to be. Drawn to the light as we are. The butterfly is the beautiful, hurt heart of Joseph.

The idealistic words what I wish the serving /caring community would live by and engender.

Aurora Magnolia

A painting of bright fuchsia-coloured flowers.

An acrylic on canvas piece painted using the colours I see when I’m struck with an aural migraine.  It was painted throughout Ontario Brain Injury Awareness Month in 2023 after a long 8 week flare.

Aurora the Snowy White

A painting of a fuchsia coloured owl in flight, with blue, pick and purple feathers on its wings in a blue sky.

A watercolor on paper, framed.  This piece was created in 2019 when I first started getting out of the house.  I owe this piece to the people of Assembly Hall and the Friends of Sam Smith Park.  This owl is a resident just down the path from Assembly Hall and gave me a reason to start walking.

Loss of self

A painting of a woman with big blue eyes, with a tear going down her right eye. She has brown hair, and big red lips. A black image of a brain is above her head. The woman is painted on a puzzle with its pieces spaced apart.

Alien Bracelet from Toy Story

A blue, pink and green embroidered bracelet with the top half of an alien head repeated five teams at the bottom.

Floating Carnations

14 different coloured carnations in a background of blue and aqua water. The carnations are all unique in shapes and sizes with two yellow, two soft pink, six orange, two reddish pink and lastly two magenta pink.

Cabin in the Woods

One red and pink cabin, one blue and green cabin with six trees, which two are yellow and orange, two are green and blueish and then there is a burning bush that is red and a purple and grey tree that floats along with all the trees and cabin in a simmering silver background.

A painting of the word ‘TRUST’, written in orange capital letters. ‘TRUST’ is highlighted with a green background. The top of the painting is yellow and the bottom of the painting is blue.

Roses

A water colour of red roses.