I strive to bring the theatrical and the fantastical to the world of painting. Working primarily in oil on canvas I am interested in capturing mysterious scenes and narratives. For me the canvas is the stage, combining costuming, acting, and scene-building to create many of my paintings. I love how theatre creates an illusion of a spontaneous narrative, and I translate this to the world of painting – a medium that can create the illusion of life. Each painting has its own story, and a viewer looking at my work will have different associations with the content in the painting and form their own stories, creating a scene of countless possibilities for every person that views it. For me, this is part of the magic of painting. Whether I’m painting surreal scenes with characters and costumes, or landscapes of Alberta, I am drawn to the narratives and stories that fill these images and what stories people will bring to them. Additionally, I’ve been quite involved with Western arts here in Alberta! I won the Western Arts Scholarship from the Calgary Stampede in 2018 for the city division, and since then I have painted to raise money for the scholarship as well. For the past four years I have also been involved with the Calgary Stampede Poster Competition, getting third runner-up and placing top eight for the 2020 and 2021 posters, respectively. Making western art is something that I often return to, as it has always been a bit like the comfort food of painting for me!
