Toronto is a city that I love and have been lucky to be able to visit throughout my life. My sister moved here over 30 years ago, which has enabled me to build friendships and business relationships in this vibrant Canadian city. Here we are waiting for Santa (or preferably Michael Buble) at a cute Canadian log cabin in the Distillery District, after feasting on apple cinnamon waffles washed down with a hot toddy at the Christmas Market! Who needs Michael Buble?!
Working with licensee Lifestyle Market in Toronto I have drawn the city several times over and discover more about Toronto every time I put brush to paper! We recently launched Toronto by Dasher (my little sister brand) earlier this year, which looks fabulous in patriotic red and complementary blue. I love the cute, red cardinal birds and squirrels, playing amongst the falling blossom petals in High Park. Dasher loves to celebrate the culture of Toronto, including baseball and of course … ice hockey!
I’ve also been celebrating Canadian wildlife, birds and even fish with my licensee, Abbott Collection. They’ve made some beautiful homeware and tote bags from my work and it was great to see it face to face when I visited Toronto this week. My favourite critter is the cuddly, larger than life, polar bear. My Canadian furry and feathered friends will begin to populate the shops of Toronto soon.
I try to take time out to explore the city on my own and managed to get a sneak peak of the iconic CN Tower in all its glory. I’ve never been up the tower and as I’m not a massive fan of heights then I’m happy to enjoy it from the ground.
Toronto was my last stop on my North American trip but will certainly not be the last time I’ll be calling in or discovering more about this wonderful city through my artwork.