Artist Biography

I started printmaking full time in 2013 living in a small seaside  village called Ucluelet (you-clue-let) on the western edge of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. I arrived as a scientist, more specifically an earth scientist who worked all over the province in water resources for several years. I loved many aspects of my occupation but my creative half lay mainly dormant for holidays and occasional weekends.

The wildness of the west coast compelled me to attempt to depict the animals, birds, plants, and ocean life in my own unique style of printmaking. The complexity and colour of feathers, fur, fins, and even the textures and patterns in plants is fascinating. From a flash of a fish or the flick of a whale tail, I try to capture these split second moments. Other times exploring the beaches and the rainforest, I seek out more slow intimate scenes discovering washed ashore treasures, intertidal creatures, and layers of the forest.

My transition from what I see as a linear reductive brain to opening up myself to the creative circular divergent self has allowed me to let go of the scientist's questions and answers. I now embrace the beautiful mystery of nature and in result I have opened up the 'artist's eye' capturing the colours, textures, and subject matter in my own personal way.

I rediscovered printmaking during a workshop at the Campbell River Museum in 1998. There are many forms of printmaking and I particularly use the relief technique and reduction cut process. I have spent hundreds of hours since then practicing and developing my style shown in my work. I tend to approach my work like an impressionist, focusing on texture, colour, and representing the subject matter from an emotional fluid like place rather than working towards realism. I believe it brings the emotional experience to the forefront; adding the layers of smell, sounds, and feelings of the experience. This is the connection I have always had with nature and I now can express it visually and share it with the world.

At present, I moved to Nova Scotia in 2019 to take my artwork and practice to another time and place. I feel now that I am expanding and experimenting even more. Now I will work on what I consider iconic and incredible nature from West Coast to East Coast. I have travelled to most provinces and territories in Canada and with those memories I hope to capture the beauty and exceptional wonder of nature for another 20 plus years.