To me, art is more than what ends up on a canvas, it is the collection of experiences that inspire creating in the first place. I credit my inspiration to the place where I grew up and continue to call home, the Yukon. Being raised here meant being raised by the outdoors with more nights spent in the mountains than in a house. My first glimpses of art were the alpine glow covering the tops of mountains in pink and the reflections on water. It was a herd of ewes and lambs bedded down on top of a moutnain and a caribou prancing its way up to you as you rode past on horseback. To me, nature has been and always will be the best artist there is, my art is simply trying to capture the creatures and moments that already exist.
My Artistic Practice
The process of Oil painting has been the type of art I keep coming back to. I focus on realism inspired art with detailed animals and soft backgrounds, as well as landscapes.
Oil Paintings
There is something satisfying about art that has an abstract outcome. Every time i pick up a paintbrush it shifts to realism, using raw wool and creating felted pieces has been a way to bring softness and abstract ideas into my studio.
Felted Panels
Closing the circle on art by handmaking the final step of a piece was a way to satisfy my drive for carpentry and labour and create a finished product that could be hung on someones wall wihout any extra steps. For finer carpentry frames I use a local woodworker (Ironworks Carpentry), but for my felted pieces and others I love to create my own.
Wooden Frames
Like the North demands, I try to live with the seasons. I spend the long days of summer working outdoors and gaining inspiration so I can spend the long nights of winter creating.
