I grew up on a farm in Ontario and I have been painting all my life. In the last 10 years I have worked to enhance my skills by taking courses, particularly in watercolour and acrylic. The inspiration for much of my art is drawn from the immense variety and intricate character of life forms. Belcarra provides a wealth of subjects, as does the Lower Mainland. These habitats, plants and animals present an artist/biologist with an unending supply of subjects to capture in paint or other media.
As a biologist, I’ve worked as consultant to environmental groups and, for the past twenty five years, as a teacher of biology at Douglas College, where I teach introductory Biology, Ecology and Environmental Science.
I find it interesting that different forms of life lend themselves to different media, and so I have worked in oil, acrylic and watercolour in addition to wood, clay and stained glass. My most important art teacher and mentor has been Doolee McDonnell, a prominent Kootenay/Vancouver watercolour and acrylic artist, but I have taken courses with such notable artists as Arleta Pech, Michael Britton, Janice Robertson and Mike Svob.
My paintings can be found in private collections in Vancouver, Port Moody, Ottawa, Toronto, Ireland, and New Zealand.