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For
me painting is a playful and honest reaction to my emotions and
experiences. It gives me insight, knowledge and a better understanding
of my place in this world. When I was a child my mother painted
and taught landscape oil painting classes from our home. New paintings
were being made around me every day and they were a big part of
my growing up. However, painting was something that I had never
taken seriously until my early 30s. After pursuing other successful
but unsatisfying careers I came to discover that the arts could
provide me with fulfillment and purpose that I didn't find in
my previous vocations. I graduated from Red Deer College (Art
and Design) in 1991 at the age of 31 and went on to study fine
arts at the University of Alberta. I have maintained a studio
practice between full-time and part-time jobs since 1994.
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Throughout
my career as a painter I have simultaneously developed two bodies
of work, landscapes and abstracts, both being explorations of space
(place) and emotion. Moving between these two distinct bodies of
work I paint in the manner that best suites the particular sense
or emotion I am experiencing. At times it is best portrayed abstractly
while at other times the spirit of this natural realm is what captivates
me and I am drawn to paint the landscape. I work in oils, acrylics,
charcoal and other media to create my pictures. I am inspired by
the landscape work of Paul Cézanne and Tom Thompson and by the abstract
work of Hans Hoffman, Richard Diebenkorn and Paul Klee. I look forward
to continuing my studies of painting throughout the rest of my life
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