Art has always had a special place in my life. Some of my earliest memories are drawing with my grandfather, who was a trained artist. My earliest inspiration was the Canadian Group of Seven landscape painters. Growing up, I would observe life and think, “I can draw that” or “I want to recreate that.” Having a creative outlet has helped me grow and heal as a person and is truly my passion in life.

 

Living in England from 2008-2014 gave me a special appreciation of European art. Frequenting the many galleries in London and traveling around Europe to experience the medieval cathedrals, architecture and personal collections in various state homes left me awe inspired.  My biggest motivation in creating is to have viewers develop an emotional connection to my work. To try and create the awe and connection I felt when seeing works of art for the first time by Caravaggio, Peter Paul Rubens, John Constable, Claude Monet, Tom Thompson, Egon Schiele and Ivan Albright, have always resonated with me. 

 

In 2013, I committed to honing my skills with daily practice. In 2014, I trained under Hamilton, Ontario artist Colin Murray for two and a half years, before moving to Chicago in 2017. In 2020, I began training with Chicago artist Megan Williamson. Working under these artists has provided me a foundation for portrait and landscape painting, taught me new techniques and has allowed me to experiment with color and abstracts.