Dragon Firesong Painting

Abstracted Visions - I believe abstraction in art is merely a way of expressing our own inner 'landscapes' or emotional atmospheres. I strive to do this with my patternistic, fractal compositions. Surreal Fantasies - Surrealism is a way of expressing our inner child, our ability to play with reality and life around us. Also, it can be a route to inner self exploration or even escapism in its strongest form. The result: Abstracted Surrealism - My artwork contains strong aspects of both Surreal Fantasies and Abstraction, making for a blend of two strong forms that express my inner visions. I started painted in oils at the age of eight and sold pastel and charcoal portraits from the age of fourteen. I used the profits from my portrait sales to fund private art lessons with two professional artists on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Their styles differed vastly, one was a realistic painter with a semi-tight style that concentrated on portraits in her main areas of interest. The other artist painted in a vivid, complementary colour scheme style that was loose and vibrant. My mature style integrates both approaches into itself in different ways. Other artists that I was very influenced by were H.R. Giger, Salvadore Dali and Gervaso Gallardo. Another obvious aspect in my artwork is the similarity to Indian art. This had developed naturally as time went on and led me to question my own roots. Upon investigation I found out in my early twenties that my great grandmother was a Cree Indian in Manitoba. What I found interesting about this is that I developed the style with no exposure to their art or culture leading me to believe that something like this could be in the blood somehow...