-
-
The End – Process
This drawing doesn’t yet have an official title though ‘The End’ is its working title at this moment. Started in November of 2011 I envisioned its completion would arrive well into the early parts of 2012 during the darkest hours of winter when the lack of sunlight usually takes me to “a very weird place”.
The Surrogate – Process
An unusually warm autumn has caused a bit of an amphibian resurgence. On especially warm nights giant toads flash orange flanks as cars weave to avoid them. All the while, a steady procession of leopard frogs scurry across the road only to be dismembered and eaten by crows.
Quetzalcoatl – Process
Calamites fossils and wind-dancing macro algae. I started this drawing shortly after taking a day off to go fossil hunting along the Fundy Bay near Cap Enragé, N.B.
Mushroom Defenders – Process
Mushroom Defenders is a drawing that expands upon the story behind a smaller drawing I did earlier this year entitled “Defuser”. It came about while I was working on something else. I took a break from that one night to render an old dream I had years ago of a futuristic woman, who was worshipped
The Family – Process
The Family was my first long format drawing. After months of smaller works and experiments, it marked my new commitment to drawing.
The Moth – Inspiration
The fruit-munching moth in my drawing ‘The Family’ was inspired by this moth.
Sprout – Process
I started sprout at a time when I was beginning to truly understand the importance of working on what you want in art and not what is expected of you.
East Goes East – Third Space Gallery
I created this paper towering inferno for the ‘East Goes East’ show which was listed as a “must see” art event for 2011 in the Globe and Mail.
-
About
I was born in the heart of Montreal during a short period in history when kidnappers shoved hostages into getaway cars while demanding freedom for political prisoners and safe passage to Cuba. A social revolution was boiling over and within hours my country fell under martial law as tanks rolled through the city. What can I say? I’ve always had this strange relationship with upheaval and mayhem.As an Acadian/Irish/Scottish/Québécoise I’m a bit of all that New France has ever produced. It therefore may come as no surprise that being an artist is not a very big deal to my large and talented family. In fact, it’s generally considered kind of boring and ‘safe’. Of course with my natural proclivity for strange and dangerous situations, a nice safe boring life as an artist sounded rather good to me. So, here I am, living out my life under a nice general unspecific professional label people can easily understand.
I’ve worked for a handful of galleries and artist-run centres over the years both as curator and administrator. I initially had plans to make a career of it but once I saw first hand how the sausage is made, that aspect of the art world lost its shine. I do like to participate in group shows and special events from time to time but when it comes to sharing my work, I’m always looking for an alternative to white gallery walls. Truth be told I’ve always preferred helping fellow artists gain recognition rather than pursuing it for myself. Laurels are for people with young souls.
I’m never sure how to tackle influences. I owe a lot to Joseph Beuys both as an inspiration and benefactor. As a NSCAD graduate I was awarded the Joseph Beuys Memorial Scholarship two semesters in a row. His legacy not only fed me but also carried me through some tough humourless years. Visually what I love most always seems to find root in Utagawa Kuniyoshi. I’m always in awe of Jean ‘Moebius’ Giraud and his quintessentially French creativity. I adore the work of Philip Beesley and find it immensely inspiring. I’m also positively charmed by the photography of Christophe Collette. And despite how cliché it may be to mention, James Jean‘s lyrical watery line has greatly helped me grow to love my own. His will to continuously evolve as an artist is greatly inspiring.My earliest and strongest artistic influences were illustrations from archaeology, anthropology and biology textbooks. I was especially obsessed with the archaeology of my brook as a small child. There, I collected specimens and discovered real artifacts, even buried a few I created myself. Today I live alongside the Saint John River, considered the Rhine of North America. Its shores are dotted with significant archaeological finds and at its end along the Fundy Bay the oldest known reptile footprint fossils were recently identified. The river itself is rich with history and one of the world’s great cradles of evolution. Living next to it is more exciting than any city’s trendy art district.
-
Contact
How to find us:
Have something to say?
