Artist’s Statement

I began my life as an artist making steel sculpture in Edmonton. I love steel and abstract sculpture but when I moved to Vancouver it was nearly impossible to continue with this material for a variety of reasons. I could see this as a very sad turn of events but I don’t. It has allowed me the opportunity to explore other media and techniques and I have found this to be very satisfying. It is a circumstance that has allowed me to grow as an artist.

I completed a B.F.A. at the University of Alberta in the 80’s. My training was very much grounded in Modernist art and I still adhere to these principles in general. I believe art, as a visual language, speaks clearly and beautifully by its own vocabulary, grammar and syntax. It does not require discourse or explanation. However, I do not believe art stands alone. It is born from, and lives in the world in which it was created. But, as the work has a much longer lifespan than the artist that created it, its impact and meaning may change over time. I am very interested in the relationship between context and meaning.

I have been involved in a Buddhist practice for the last three years and have found it to run parallel to my art-making practice. I understand each better as a result of my activity in the other. My art, at times, draws on imagery from the Buddhist tradition, but often the connection is more subtle. In art and in meditation, the intention, for me, is to be more honest, more precise and more human.

Finally, I would like to mention the impact that my career as a high school art teacher has had. I have taught art to teens for 10 years and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to know these young people. I love the energy and honesty of young people and I love being able to watch them make their art. It is satisfying to be able to help them discover another language with which to express themselves and it is a privilege watch them use it.