Me My Art And I

    Art seems to continually weave itself like a web through my life.  At times gaining momentum and stability while at others fading into the background; however, never silent and never to far away but patiently waiting for me to embrace it and finally surrender and give up the struggle.

Growing up in a small community in Northern Alberta doesn't usually come to mind as an environment that would foster the arts in a young individual, but indeed Grande Prairie was such a place for me.  My only hurdle at that time was to convince the family that this was a good thing.  Actually this would take decades so to begin with I had to settle on something "safe".  Safe turned out to be an Architectural Draftsperson.  Due to my creativity I became a commercial interior designer in Calgary without ever taking a class in it.  This journey lasted until my early 30's when I discovered I couldn't hold back the artist anymore.  I left this profession to start another.

I was accepted to Alberta College Of Art and Design in Calgary.  (I just assumed they needed a certain quota of old people.  Imagine thinking that 32 was old!)  I spent 2 blissful years immersed in art 24/7 until the money ran out and life was calling me back.

The mighty Peace called me home.  (Peace is the name of the major river up here.)  It would take me 6 additional years to develop my artistic style or find my voice, and it has taken a further 10 years to decide what to do with it.

At the age of 62 (2021), I decided to change my medium of choice to encaustic.