Mixed media artist
Printmaking Prof. at Georgian College
YouTube/Instagram sensation
I believe that art is the most universal language that also transcends time. I also believe art’s function in the world is to record time and place and the various social climates it’s within, so society may learn and grow as we move forward. It is the job of the artist to make this come to fruition and present their perception to the public to help create an open discussion platform. For 25 years I’ve been creating mixed media works focused on pop culture and then utilizing found objects (reclaimed bedsheets, wallpaper, discarded wood etc.) and images from sources meant for the masses (i.e.: school textbooks, magazines, movies, etc.) to achieve this.
Growing up in the 1980s-1990s I was drawn to, participated in and then in turn heavily influenced by punk/skateboard culture. The masses (in general) viewed this culture as a collective of dysfunctional outcasts on the fringes of society with no moral compass or care for the world around them. The reality was that it was a collective of individuals outcasted to the fringes of society because of their impenetrable moral compass, questioning the world around them, set on a goal of educating people to create a more socially conscious tomorrow. Its mindset, ethics, and non-judgemental DIY approach in presenting one’s ideas and socially conscious opinions through the arts was a platform that I could relate to. As a result of this influence, I built a career working outside of the traditional commercial and public art gallery system, establishing myself as an innovative artist and arts educator.
Since graduating with a fine arts diploma in 1998, I have had the ability (and honor) to present my artistic process, beliefs and work through numerous classes, artist talks, publications, residencies, and exhibitions, within North America, including an upcoming 25 year retrospective of my work at Georgian College (Barrie, ON) titled “Simple Abundance” in February 2023.
From 2005-2020 I ran and delivered my own ‘artist-in-the-classroom’ curriculum based educational business, ‘Art for Art’s Sake’ in Simcoe County, Ontario. Within each school calendar year, I would deliver project-based art programs, focused on modern living Canadian artists (including myself), to an average of 3000 students per school year. Concurrently, I maintained a contract with the City of Barrie’s parks and recreation department (Barrie, ON) to design, develop and deliver art-based programs and camps. As of 2017 I have been the Head of Arts at King’s College (Caledon, ON), overseeing every aspect of ‘The Arts’ programing for grades 2-12.
