I was born and raised in Pictou, a small fishing town in northern Nova Scotia. I lived just a few hundred yards from Pictou Harbour and have always had a passion for the sea. My father was a third-generation fisherman who worked the waters of Northumberland Strait. As a young child, I spent many days with him as he worked on his boat and fishing gear. Living close to the water, I spent most of my summers swimming off the nearby wharf, rain or shine. It’s no surprise, then, that I developed a deep attachment to the sea, with all its moods and ever-changing qualities. This attachment became, later in life, the inspiration behind my marine paintings. The interplay of colours, bold brushstrokes, calm and turbulence, soft and hard edges, line versus mass—all come together to spark interest. Although I mostly paint marine subjects, I bring this passion and these qualities to all my work, carrying my early connection to nature into every painting subject.
