"People in Walking Shoes. People in Running Shoes. People in Cement Shoes.©" Print

I grew up in Montreal, Canada but went to Brandeis University in Boston as a theatre major. That was where I first learned about unspoken communication – how facial expression, clothes and gesture could telegraph better than words. And a stint as a cel painter at the National Film Board of Canada cemented my passion for animation and cartooning.

Upon graduation, I came to New York as a graduate student at Pratt Institute for design where I got my masters in communication arts. It led me to a 30-year career as a creative director in advertising – an industry very much reliant on observing human behavior.  With unintended consequences, the hundreds of focus groups I attended, where I listened to consumers from every corner of the country, influenced many of the characters who populate my work.  

Recently, I have been inspired by both the brave and tragic characters we read about every day. Their heroism has deeply influenced my most recent pieces as I try to make sense of the continuing divide we see in our country. My hope is that in juxtaposing some of these brave people with the humor and light-heartedness of my characters, I can help amplify the issues they fight for in an entertaining and accessibly visual way. More than ever before, I believe we all need help seeing the world with a modicum of humor.

My career as an artist began in 1989 where I was represented by gallerist Steve Feinman of Multiple Impressions gallery in Soho, New York. Over the course of two years, I had two solo shows, one in New York and the other in Providence, Rhode Island. During that time, my work was sold all over the world, including the UK, Canada and Japan. Recently, I have exhibited at the Clio art fair in NY and at the RawSpace gallery group show in the lower east side of Manhattan as well as Art Aspen in Colorado and the SOFA exhibition in Chicago.

During my hiatus from art, I was an advertising creative director in New York city. Over the course of my career at McCann-Erickson and J. Walter Thompson advertising agencies, I was awarded the Cannes Lion, the Art Director's award, the Kelly award, three Effies, and the London International Advertising award.