I was born in Ottawa, Canada. At age fifteen I started painting with a friend, and soon it became a big part of my life. At eighteen I started using oils, the medium I still prefer today. Upon graduating from high school I wanted to study animation, but instead majored in Literature and history because I was still not practiced enough to contemplate doing anything in the field of art. During university I painted in my spare time and drew in class. In 2000, after I finished with all the academic stuff, Japan beckoned.
I taught English in Fukui prefecture, one of the least known but nicest prefectures in Japan. With beautiful surroundings and lots of time to paint I worked at getting better at painting. Japan and Japanese culture started to have an effect on my paintings. During my free time I traveled to most parts of Japan, taking pictures and studying art and culture. Many of the things I experienced found their way into my canvasses or drawings.
My first display of paintings was in 2003 at a small place in Kyoto. The same year I had a much bigger display in Obama (Fukui prefecture). In 2003 I moved to Gunma so I could continue teaching English, this time exclusively in elementary schools. In 2004 I had exhibits in Takasaki (Gunma Prefecture) and Tokyo. During the second half of my time in Japan I started designing and making t-shirts having been influenced by the cool shirt culture. I sold quite a few shirts in Tokyo, and places around where I lived.
After five years away, I moved back to Ottawa in August 2005. Now I spend most of my time painting and making t-shirts. I've held exhibits at the Manx in 2006, and La Petit Mort Gallery in 2007. I continue to create and sell new shirts and paintings.
When I paint, or make tee shirts, I like to play with ideas in order to amuse the viewer. I often try designing images with separate styles in order to challenge myself into finding different ways to present similar ideas. Even when one style works I try to switch it up and keep things novel; optimistically I'm keeping things as light as possible. Since society has trained us to spend our days looking for deep symbolism, I like to challenge by suggesting my image doesn't have depth. By projecting the frivolous, I hope everyone can relax comfortably away from a feeling of duty associated with interpreting my images. Of course I encourage people to connect with what I do, but I like people to note that it is sometimes enough to see an image purely as an aesthetic element. Colors, content, humor, simplicity, meaning, shape or any of a hundred different criteria are all valid ways to look at images. I'm trying not to guilt trip viewers into feeling responsible for interpreting my images because they're in a certain medium. Both canvasses and tee shirts are cotton, have symbols and are as worthy of thought, or not, as you feel like giving them.
{if you have any questions, please e-mail me.}
{come see my paintings at la petite mort gallery}
