I am a storyteller. I am also a dreamer. I grew up with stories of the past that instilled in me a deep love of nature, the history behind it, and the consequences of action and inaction. Wildlife and birds, the prairie landscape, plants, and people all play a part in the bigger story. From as far back as I can remember I’ve occupied my time with making pictures as an escape from a world that can be quite harsh. My work is a visual dialogue of a journey to an unknown destination.

I want my paintings to deviate and change reality until the fallacies become more believable than truth. My goal with each painting is to interpret the spirit or emotional connection I have with the subject. I’m not interested in realism or creating an exact likeness. I want to represent the emotion, allowing the viewer to share in the feelings and relationship I had with the subject. It is my hope the viewer is able to step away from the turmoil of modern life to reflect on the beauty of the world, or of a simpler more innocent way of life.

This goal has led me to the work of Russian, Dutch, and English Impressionists and their ability to depict the world in an almost abstract way with strong emotion. My works are a process of give and take between the canvas and myself. I take away as much paint as I put on most of the time. I am often found scraping a painting down and then building it up again. I think this process is integral to finding the emotion and depth in the works.

It’s much like going for a walk. You can walk for exercise or on a mission, or your walk can be about discovering all the hidden secrets waiting to be seen by slowing down and looking with more than just your eyes. I experiment with how to be more expressive with brushstrokes, how colours can impact mood, how values create atmosphere, and how all these elements can be combined so that the viewer can step away from their busy life and reflect on the beauty of the world.