Biography

I was born the second of three boys in Grimsby Ontario, on the south shore of Lake Ontario.  My family moved soon after to the industrial city of Hamilton, where I spent my formative years.  As seems often the case with middle children, I was remembered as the quiet, introspective one, often found reading and drawing, or off exploring the nearby woods and fields.

In School, my skills as an artist were recognized from an early age and though I always continued to study art, I never entertained the notion of making a career from it.

Only after completing my first foray into post secondary education as a construction engineer, and failing to find suitable work, did I start to look at other options.  Following a chance encounter with an old school mate who had just completed first year at an Art College, I started to consider the same possibility for myself.  A life defining ‘why not?’ choice was made and the next fall I began the study of Illustration at Sheridan College, just outside Toronto.  Three years later, after specializing in Technical Illustration, I landed my first job as a staff artist.  After accumulating four years of professional experience, it was time for another leap; this time to join the ranks of the freelance illustrator in the commercial art world.

Freelancing was no easy ride but over time, jobs became more frequent and my client base grew.  My portfolio included a diverse cross section of work including; editorial, corporate, advertising and publishing work.  The later gradually began to dominate my workload and I was kept busy illustrating book covers, creating art for educational books and ultimately illustrating my first children’s picture book.  The unique challenge and rewards that came with such a project where, for me, a dream job.  After success with my first book, a second then a third came along, and to date I have illustrated over a dozen titles.

During this time I accepted a position as an instructor at George Brown College, teaching in the Graphic Arts Department.  After eight rewarding years teaching, developing course content, and mentoring many would be artists, while continuing to work as a freelancer, I left Toronto for the picturesque village of Elora, Ontario.  There I continued to work in the publishing business, expanding my role to include writing as well.

My next and most recent move brought me to my present home in the artistic hamlet of Eden Mills.  At this point, I took yet another career ‘leap’.  Using this picturesque village and surrounding countryside as inspiration, I began to paint with the intention of entering the world of fine art.

Currently I work and live on the second floor of a three story stone building looking out over the Eramosa River.  This unique residence served as the village general store for close to one hundred and fifty years.  With many fellow artists nearby and an active, engaged community, as well as the breathtaking beauty of this hidden rural gem, my new home is an ideal place to be an artist.

Samples of my new work can be seen in the store windows below my studio as well as in many local shows and galleries.