A few years ago my friend, colleague, and fellow artist, Stacey Walyuchow, posted a video (done by Marie Bryce) that spoke to her work and why it was meaningful to her… and I thought - what a powerful idea + medium.

It took me - ahem - a few minutes to summon the courage to act on what I knew was a powerful way of communicating my ‘why’, and - when I did - I knew Marie was THE person to help me do it!

Of course our scheduled shoot day immediately followed some unforeseen stresses in my life - Murphy 🙄 - and I felt totally off kilter on the day of… but - even so - Marie managed to capture so much of what resonates with me, both personally and in my work.

To say Marie’s a magician is an understatement.

I hope this gives you a glimpse of who I am, why I believe in this work, and
what to expect if you’re thinking about honouring your here & now with a portrait. 🙏🏼

With gratitude,

Lori

It takes a village… and here are THE 3 VIPs that helped me get from ‘maybe I should do a video 🤔’ to here. ✨

Meet Marie Bryce: Visionary. Entrepreneur. Storyteller. Community Builder. Filmmaker.

When I asked my friend Stacey (whom you’ll meet below ) if she could refer me to who had done her artist statement video, she quickly replied: ‘it was Marie. call her, she’s amazing!’

Having never done anything like this, the whole thing seemed slightly overwhelming and - not gonna lie - really intimidating! But, knowing how much I appreciate this medium - the opportunity to hear AND see people talking about the things they’re passionate about - I knew it was an important step for my business. Not only did Marie ‘hold my hand’ throughout, meeting me with empathy + grace + goodwill, but she also SOMEHOW managed to take my basket of nerves and deliver a final product that - I feel - truly speaks to who I am and why I do this work.

Marie recently left her non-profit gig to launch her own business, Emerging Narrative, with partner and marketing guru, Tara Harrison… I’m counting my lucky stars that I managed to get in the queue before they’re too busy! Great things ahead for these dynamic, kind, and talented women… if you’re looking for help in the filmmaking/storytelling realm Marie’s your gal!

You can see some of her work here, check out their website here www.emergingnarrativeyyc.com , and follow her on IG here.

What can I say about this exceedingly generous soul…

When I had the idea - with only a week’s notice 🤦🏻‍♀️ - that it might be good to do a portrait session for the video; I reached out to my friend to ask if she might be willing to model for me… and without hesitation she said ‘yes’. 🙏🏼

We’ve known each other for years, since our babies were only 3 weeks old if we’re being specific 😉, and I knew immediately that we were kindred spirits (Taurus gals unite!). What dawned on me the day of was that this was a full circle moment… she’d ‘modelled’ for me when I first opened my studio back in 2012 and now, here we are again in studio. Isn’t it crazy how things seem to work out?! (Thank you, Lady Universe!)

While I was distracted by all the goings on of the day AND lacking sleep from the crazy week prior 🤪… she graciously answered my every idea with: ‘want me to wear the tulle, sure!’, ‘want me to stand on a box, okay!’, ‘want me to dance, of course!’… this woman is not one who wants to be the centre of attention regardless: I called and she came. How lucky am I? ❤️

Thank you, friend, for ALL the ways you show up for the people lucky enough to be in your ⭕️.

Stacey. The Garage Series. Photo: Lori Maloney 2023

“The barn’s burnt down, now I can see the stars.”
The original self-portrait by Lori Maloney, artwork by Stacey Walyuchow. (*so many exquisite details that I will cherish always*)

None of this - and so many other opportunities I’ve had - would have been possible without this generous soul.

Stacey Walyuchow and I have known each other since I became friends with her best friend in college (a nod to our mutually beloved KG, aka Tomato✨). The friendship has grown throughout the years, specifically after she invited me to participate as an artist in the FosterMAK collective that she founded and led for many years. We’ve collaborated on portrait sessions, shows, workshops, and, most recently, when I commissioned a painting from her for my 50th birthday (pictured here).

Her artistic talent + knowledge is staggering, but her kind heart, dedication to supporting women, and generous ability to connect others is somehow even more impressive.

Thank you, Stace. I feel so privileged to call you friend and I am deeply appreciative of the myriad ways you’ve supported me and my business. xo

Stacey offers workshops in her unique style of hand-painted collage (that deftly and poetically focuses on women’s stories: our challenges + our strengths), has art available for sale on-line and at select galleries in Alberta, and does commissions. You can find her work here and do follow her on IG here.

Last, but certainly not least, my immense gratitude to each woman who has trusted me to help create her portrait. When I say it’s my ‘heart’s work’ I really mean it… my thanks to each of you who has invited me to do this with you, it’s something that I truly feel so passionately about.
I think Mom would be proud. ✨

xo Lori