Painting - Oil
A little bit about my background, Toronto is my place of birth and good part of my life was spent there. At first, I studied Graphic Design and then assembled a portfolio. This portfolio helped me land my first job in a Design Studio, also, located in Toronto.
While employed at the studio as a designer, I decided to take an evening course on illustration taught by Will Davies at The Ontario College of Art. Will introduced me to the art of many great illustrators and some of their techniques. This chance meeting determined my careers new direction, I was aware that my love was for painting and drawing and not much for the Graphic design side of things. The studio I worked for brought illustration projects my way for their clients, such as posters, packaging art and my first book covers were created while employed there.
Though the studio offered a steady pay cheque, finally came the time for me to throw any caution to the wind and pursue my love for painting and drawing, thus began my new career as a freelance illustrator.
Over those years I was commissioned by publishers, magazines, studios as well as a few Advertising agencies. For a brief time I also created fashion and product illustration for Sears Canada. My first projects came from the Toronto market, but the New York market became my source for most of the new commissions and many were through my Artist Rep. in NYC, Sal Barracca and associates. I certainly had the opportunity to develop my painting skills in the illustration field and painting and drawing of a far higher quality results from a command of solid technical skills which I'm always striving to improve.
As an artist, I have two responsibilities. The first is to express myself and the second is to communicate. It is said, that a painting should call out to the viewer...and the surprised viewer should go to it, as if entering a conversation, I hope mine accomplish this. I love the process and love the work. "Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not" Emerson.
I am an artist member of: The Society of Canadian Artists, The Canadian Society of Marine Artists, The American Society of Marine artists and the Canadian Aerospace Artists Association.
