I’m a contemporary Canadian visual artist exploring feminine mythology and symbolic form. My work examines how the feminine archetype weaves through time, space, and culture. It is the creative force that’s both nurturing and destructive, sensual and grounded. Drawing from my background in both the arts and business, I approach my practice with the same mix of discipline and curiosity that’s guided me through every chapter of my life. My years in the Canadian Air Force to my studies in fine arts and international residencies provided a foundation of knowledge and flexibility.
I’ve always drawn — I honestly can’t remember a time when I didn’t. Music and song are my escape, and dance has always pulled at me, even though I move like a crow and can’t hold a tune. In my head, though, I dance and sing perfectly.
From a young age, I was encouraged to really see: to notice more than what’s visible. That way of looking shaped everything. After high school, I studied Fine Arts at the University of Calgary, where I failed miserably with a .5 GPA. But, I kept learning all through my 12-year career in the Canadian Air Force, often through night classes or correspondence. Eventually, I reached a major milestone: earning my Bachelor of Fine Arts with Great Distinction from the University of Lethbridge in 2001.
A year later, I was selected from 78 candidates as one of six resident artists at the new Rotary Centre for the Arts. I stayed there for ten years before heading overseas for artist residencies in southern Italy and near Montserrat, Spain. Both of these were life-changing experiences that deepened my connection to my work.
Influences
My influences stretch from the classics: Greek art, da Vinci, Rembrandt, Ingres, through Manet, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso, and Tapies, and more recently, Klee and Kandinsky. I studied their styles, and their impact which in turn provided an excellent foundation of art history. I draw from art theorists like John Berger and Josef Albers, as well as thinkers like Leadbeater, Blavatsky, Fritjof Capra, and Joseph Campbell. Each of these scholars and explorers analyzed how meaning and myth shape our world.
Much of my work revolves around the feminine symbol as seen in myth and culture. This is the creative spirit that’s both nurturing and destructive, sensual and maternal, endlessly cycling through creation and renewal. For me, that duality is the essence of creativity.
Today
Today, my art weaves together ideas of time, space, and rhythm. My work is a natural evolution of my life experiences, from the structure of military life to the freedom of the studio. I also bring a strong business background to what I do, which helps bridge the gap between artistic vision and real-world execution. My goal is simple: to create work that feels honest, direct, and alive with energy.