Writing & Heart

Why I write: When I was young, I took my time to learn about life and art and writing…

2022, BOOK PIECES: Dive in to my “Swimming Trilogy” – in the Writers Collective of Canada anthology, Front Lines: Courage (available on Amazon) — Here is a short video excerpt of me reading. See my Heart Blog for more on swimming and writing!

03/2022, ESSAY – “For the Love of Books” in ON SITE REVIEW 40: the architect’s library (free online, pp. 56-59)

2022, VIDEO INTERVIEW: Caregiver strategy INTERVIEW, Author Interview with WSA’s Gail Watson

2022, BOOK CHAPTER: Learn Care for the caregiver in Voices5 anthology Voices of the 21st Century: Conscious Caring Women. New blog entry tells you about “Memory and Acceptance, Lessons from my mother”

2021, VIDEO INTERVIEW – “About Writing” – Karen Joan Watson – Interview “ABOUT WRITINg” (20 mins) by Canadian Military Spouses Book Club lead, Christine Snider

2021, BOOK CHAPTER: A beating Heart story in Voices4 book: Voices of the 21st Century: Resilient Women Who Rise and Make a Difference; PURCHASE

2021, VIDEO INTERVIEW: “Author Spotlight Karen Watson” about my Heart story: I was convinced to tell my story of open-heart surgery and living with uncertainty for 27 years, and learn to thrive, in the Video interview with publisher of Voices of the 21st Century, Gail Watson (11 mins)

In my Heart Blog, you’ll find stories shared by my Heart sisters of Women@Heart of CWHHC, about Bicuspid Aortic Valve – Open-heart surgery survivor at UOHI, Heart genetics, Caregivers, living with uncertainty.

See NEWS & LINKS for new writing and art projects, for interviews and videos.

Belonging & Genetics

To belong is to be connected to who and where we are – to family (genealogy and family genetics) and sense of place. (geography and nature). With birth heart defects in the family, and curiosity about where we come from, I did comparative DNA testing plus life-long genealogy research of our mostly Celtic, French and Québecois roots with a bit of Spanish/Italian in there. (Family members can ask to access “Watson Family Tree” on MyHeritage.com; “Watson Family Tree” on Ancestry.com; and DNA tree on 23andme.com.)

On the Portfolio page, you can see photos of my artwork Generations art installations, inspired by what else? – family and ancestors.

ART CRITIC or ART CURIOUS? (2x baby raccoon videos) I have lived in the Gatineau Hills every summer since I was a child, playing and working with fallen branches (making triangles and circles and Crowns of Thorns), stones (making cairns), water (making water circles), fire (making fires and fire circles). Baby racoons and birds comment as they observe me making eco-art in la belle province de Québec. The deer are more discreet.

I continue my twins research and art installation ideas. Connected to genealogy are the Generations art installations (see Portfolio page)

HONOURING OUR ELDERS – Aunt Mamie – MARY Margaret Julia Watson Hayes BURNS, turned 95 in 2022.

Mum, Joan WENDY Lynn QUAIN WATSON, turned 88 in early July 2022.

August 27, 2021, RIP Cousin MARGARET Mary Salome O’Neill TIMMONS, a Sorel cousin (a proud 100 years and 10 weeks old)

June 23, 2021, RIP Uncle REDMOND Charles Hamilton QUAIN (93 years young).

Art & Eco-Art

2020-2023: DRAWING exhibited in AGO online tribute: It was fun to celebrate with my Quain cousins and Brad at the #ArtGalleryofOntario. My “Covid Selfie, Left Handed” drawing was one of 3000 artworks in the AGO’s “I AM HERE” 2022 major exhibition and is in the AGO’s online exhibition “Portraits of Resilience” (2021 to present). See Portfolio.

On the Portfolio page, you can see photos of various artwork with comments.

On the Eco-art page, I tell you about making these installations like “Crown of Thorns,” “River Stone Work, Ireland,” with environmental awareness, a sense of place and belonging, language, geology, growing awareness of indigenous peoples’ history and culture (see also About)

03/2022 and 01/2022: VIDEO PRESENTATION, “Crown of Thorns” (1o mins) – As an enthusiastic artist-participant in Tree Songs 3 and 4 – tree festival, I talk about learning about nature and growing up in the Gatineau Hills in the summers, making things.

2021, ECO-ART and HEART STORY – VIDEO INTERVIEW: “Karen Joan Watson, Eco-Artist and Author, Ottawa, Canada” by artsvlogger-“Multiple Arts:” (45 mins). Over the years, this international arts vlogger has taped me making eco-art in the Gatineau Hills. Here she interviews me from her home in Europe:

2003, ART BOOK CONTRIBUTOR: My “Crown of Thorns” installation around a majestic old maple on trail #5 at the Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area is featured in Art for Earth’s Sake: The Millennium Project (2003, KAAI, now Modern Fuel). I love this eco-art (ecoart) book, which explains the philosophy of landart and eco-art.