A spectacular ocean view and a warm welcome await you when you arrive at my hillside studio. In addition to the fine art quilts and mixed media paintings, you’ll find hand-dyed silk scarves, tiny paintings, collages, and more.

2022 is my 50th anniversary of discovering Cape Breton, also known as Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral land of the Mi’kmaq People, and it has been a love affair ever since. After many visits, my partner and I immigrated from Boston in 2007, and we haven’t looked back.

Since Covid is still with us, please make an appointment before visiting. This is a home studio and visitors will need to wear masks. You can call, email, or text to make an appointment. Find a map and directions here.

Many others have succumbed to the numerous charms of Cape Breton and visit again and again. My first strong impression of Cape Breton was its friendly people, like the man in the pickup truck who stops to make sure you notice the eagle sitting in the tree, the server who gives you directions to her favourite beach, or the person next to you at a concert who wants to know where you’re from and tells you stories about the performers.  

The beauty and variety of the landscape is stunning: mountains dropping down to the ocean, rolling meadows with wild iris and orchids, salmon rivers, waterfalls, nearly empty beaches, and a big sky.

Then there’s the traditional Celtic music, originally brought here by Scottish settlers—lively jigs, strathspeys, and reels played on fiddle and piano.  And did I mention the 90-year-old woman sitting at a concert whose feet are not just tapping, they’re dancing?      

I enjoy meeting new people, and If you are a first-time visitor to this island, I can recommend live music performances, hiking trails, beaches, restaurants and more. Here are a few of my favourites:

The Mabou Farmers Market, Sundays from 11 to 2, June through mid-October, with food, artisans, and live music.

West Mabou Beach, which you can see from our house.

The Red Shoe Pub in Mabou, with live music most evenings.

The Glenora Inn and Distillery, very good food and music at lunch and dinner, or eat in their lovely outdoor garden.

Cape Mabou Hiking Trails, beautiful and uncrowded.

Celtic Music Interpretive Centre, lunchtime music; near a walking and bike trail that leads to the ocean.

Inverness County Centre for the Arts, with a stunning gallery, monthly art shows, a shop, and a variety of musical events.