I have been painting in oils since I was 12 years old.  I am self-taught and, through trial and error, learned my craft almost completely on my own.  I did receive some training in high school and by taking a course in “Painting like the Masters” that focussed on portraiture.  The course instructor was the artist Martinho Correia who taught it through Saint Mary’s University in Calgary where I was a lecturer in history for several years.

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As a member of the Leighton Centre, three of my works were shown for sale at the Gallery's gift shop in September 2020: "Sunset Over the Bow River"; "Killarney"; and "Storm Over Canola Fields".

I participated in a gallery showing in 2018 at Motion Gallery in Calgary and my paintings are present in private collections in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, and also in Belgium. 

In addition to painting scenes that I select, I will work from scenes provided by clients on commission.

Right: Motion Gallery showing in 2018

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Landscapes are what I’m most comfortable painting.  How can one improve on the beauty of nature?  I do my best to transmit the feeling I get when viewing the magnificence of the natural world.  I particularly enjoy interpreting skyscapes, the most dramatic aspect of our environment here in Western Canada.  To me, the sky is the most important element of a landscape painting as it dictates the light and colours present in the land, and sets the mood of the painting.

I paint in my home studio with photos that I and my friends and family provide.  The time it takes me to complete a painting varies depending on the size of the canvas and the intricacy of the scene.  I approach my work as an intellectual exercise as well as a creative one.  While the paintings can appear rather haphazard close up, the further away you are, the more realistic they look.   This approach was common among Impressionist painters and has been my “natural” method of depicting the landscape.

Left: “Summer Evening at Covey Lake, Nova Scotia” Oil on Canvas 24”X24” SOLD