Why I paint

It’s hard to imagine a life without painting, but looking back I really only started painting in university.  Before discovering acrylics, I used to do detailed photo-realistic drawings and would spend so much time on the smallest details. 

When I was in university (for sciences, not art) I needed an outlet that wasn’t so detail-oriented, so I headed down to The Paint Spot in Edmonton (fantastic local art store worth checking out if you’re in the area!) and bought myself a big fat paintbrush, some canvases, three colours of acrylic paint plus black and white, and started experimenting with loose brushstrokes, blending and lots of colour.  I found it to be such a great shift in focus for me from the day-to-day of chemistry labs, reading through piles of scientific papers and studying into the early hours of the morning.  The result of this experiment was a mix of very colourful landscapes, floral paintings, the odd portrait, and a wide range of different styles. 

Over the years, I’ve narrowed down my styles to include two distinct styles of paintings, and have focused in on Western Canadian landscapes and wildlife.  I paint what is around me, and I have to say, I’m lucky to be bordering the Rocky Mountains and the prairies, because both of these gorgeous sources of inspiration keep me supplied with endless amounts of inspiration. 

Visit my store to see my latest available paintings of the prairies, tiny barns, and stained-glass-style mountains.