I began the penny candy series in the fall of 2019. I was planning to buy treats to hand out for Halloween, and it was a trip to the candy store that got me all inspired. The bright colours and my constant search for happy images and repetitive shapes, along with the inner child in me got me painting. I was especially drawn to candies that had wrapping on them, the folds, and reflections and the shapes created by the plastic wrapping was a fun thing to explore in paint. I painted furiously for months, setting up the candies, sourcing my penny collection (!) and while painting I was sampling candies.... I finished the series in February 2020 and showcased the collection at the Artist Project in Toronto that month. I don’t know that I will paint more candies for a while, the sampling got to me!