WHY DO I PAINT?

The late great Grant MacEwan, once said to me—“your ability to work with your hands will always put food on the table”.

There has always been something compelling and satisfying about making things—from the time I was a little kid to the painting I’m working on right now. Clarity is what I get from digging in and getting my hands dirty and any questions I may have about the world always seem to be worked out through my painting.

 THE SIMPLE TRUTH ABOUT MY PAINTING

I am inspired by the story—stories are what connect us all.  I paint people—what they do and the things they place importance on. My stories are most often simple observations, told, elaborated on and embellished, through the use of  line and bold palettes of colour. Each painting intuitively evolves through layers of paint ascending a staircase to the apex of a story. People and their complex nature are referenced by my drawings and mark making on the canvas surface—pointing to a potential narrative.  I will remove paint to reveal the under-painting or scratch into the painted surface to impart a glimpse of what is hidden.

I am the facilitator of the story, the quality and depth of meaning comes from you, the viewer.