Using oil paints to try to capture the feelings and sights of the world that is all around us
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.
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.
I can’t answer the question of how long I have been painting because like most kids I grew up with a craft cupboard and was always working on something. But sometime while in university I picked up oil paints for the first time and slowly taught myself to use them. At first I painted with them like they were acrylics, then slowly I started to learn “proper” techniques and realized that they make an incredible difference when working towards realism art. I am constantly working on growing my skills and trying to create pieces with more resemblace to the subject I am trying to capture, while still including blurred backgrounds and vivid colours that encapsulate my unique style.
I create art from the world I’ve been lucky enough to experience and hope that it sparks that same feeling of joy for others, either reminding them of the world they’ve experienced, or the one they will one day get to.
