This painting was commissioned by St. John's Presbyterian Church to honour the life of Mary Pratley. Her initials appear in the painting in the lower right and are illuminated with images of her family and life.I intended the painting to be a reflection of the life of the people that come to be here together. As part of my research, I asked the members of the congregation what they might choose to represent themselves; things that are important to them, what they do for a living, etc. I received a wide range of ideas and thoughts. The tree has several references to the Celtic Knot appropriate to the Scottish heritage of the Presbyterian Church. One appears in the centre at the bottom but also the roots themselves create a Celtic knot that moves up the trunk and transforms itself into the crown of the tree. It is in this framework of Celtic knots that I placed the images of St.John's history including some values and some of the activities of the congregation that creates a communal and spiritual foundation
The Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga is an inclusive community of non-creedal religious people, offering a range of spiritual and educational services and programs for children, youth and adults including drumming, yoga, social justice workshops and music. We are LGBT friendly.We aspire to support each individual search for truth and meaning, celebrate diversity, nurture the spirit, promote social justice locally and globally and be an environmentally friendly congregation, treasuring the sense of mystery, wonder and beauty in the universe. Exciting programs for 2012 include Seedy Saturday (eco-gardening day feature heritage and organic seed sales), Soulful Singing and UN workshops. We also like to get together for family-friendly socials. The Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga serves Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Etobicoke and Brampton and is located near the QEW and HYW 10.