The Exceptional Lingers Outside Painting

I was born in Ottawa, Canada, December 18, 1977. At age fifteen I started painting with a friend, and soon it became a big part of my life. At eighteen I started using oils, the medium I still prefer today. Upon graduating from high school I wanted to study animation, but instead majored in Literature and history because I was still not practiced enough to contemplate doing anything in the field of art. During university I painted in my spare time and drew in class. In 2000, after I finished with all the academic stuff, Japan beckoned.

I taught English in Fukui prefecture, one of the lest known but nicest prefectures in Japan. With beautiful surroundings and lots of time to paint I worked at getting better at painting. Japan, and Japanese culture started to have an effect on my paintings. During my free time I traveled to most parts of Japan, taking pictures and studying art and culture. Many of the things I experienced found their way into my canvasses or drawings.

My first display of paintings was in 2003 at a small place in Kyoto. The same year I had a much bigger display in Obama (Fukui prefecture). In 2003 I moved to Gunma so I could continue teaching English, this time exclusively in Elementary schools. In 2004 I had exhibits in Takasaki (Gunma Prefecture) and Tokyo. During the second half of my time in Japan I started designing and making t-shirts because there's such a cool shirt culture over there. I sold quite a few shirts in Tokyo, and places around where I lived. After five years away, I moved back to Ottawa in August 2005. Now I spend most of my time painting and making t-shirts.