IN THE BEGINNING
I graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 1998, but didn't start my professional artistic career until 2005 when I photographed the Halifax Infirmary Hospital, where I was born. The building stood abandoned for 18 years and I was fortunate enough to gain access to the interior before it was demolished. That experience, and the response I received from the images, spurred five years of exploring and photographing abandoned houses and buildings of all kinds.
Originally schooled in film photography, and very hesitant to switch to digital, I held on until the last public-access colour darkroom in my city closed. Letting go of my purist mentality and buying a digital camera, I created my first mixed-media show, Pretty Bird, changing the way I use photography forever. Because I was trained in the darkroom, I still felt the need to work with my hands so I began doing photographic transfers. I started with simple 4"x5" photocopy transfers to wood and quickly moved to large scale digital ink transfers on both wood and metal.
I graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 1998, but didn't start my professional artistic career until 2005 when I photographed the Halifax Infirmary Hospital, where I was born. The building stood abandoned for 18 years and I was fortunate enough to gain access to the interior before it was demolished. That experience, and the response I received from the images, spurred five years of exploring and photographing abandoned houses and buildings of all kinds.
Originally schooled in film photography, and very hesitant to switch to digital, I held on until the last public-access colour darkroom in my city closed. Letting go of my purist mentality and buying a digital camera, I created my first mixed-media show, Pretty Bird, changing the way I use photography forever. Because I was trained in the darkroom, I still felt the need to work with my hands so I began doing photographic transfers. I started with simple 4"x5" photocopy transfers to wood and quickly moved to large scale digital ink transfers on both wood and metal.
AN INTERESTING ROAD
In the summer of 2012 I quit both of my jobs, sold virtually everything I owned and hit the road in a cargo van turned camper, but let me start from the beginning. In 2010, while feeling creatively stunted, I took out a map of the USA and let my finger fall on Arizona. I needed to see some new scenery and had dreamed of driving the infamous Route 66 through the desert. So, I flew into Las Vegas, rented a car and drove from one side of Arizona to the other, following that iconic Mother Road. The result was an exhibition titled Arizona Neon and it fueled my love of the open road and all it has to offer.
Immediately upon returning home I gave myself a one year timeline to get all my ducks in a row to live on the road full time. I had an idea; I would call my van The Barter Van and had intentions of trading my art for things I needed, such as a place to park the van to sleep and food. I had varying amounts of success with this and what I learned from those experiences is invaluable. The resulting exhibition, Roadside America, was a wonderful and enjoyable challenge to create and I was very happy with it's success.
In the summer of 2012 I quit both of my jobs, sold virtually everything I owned and hit the road in a cargo van turned camper, but let me start from the beginning. In 2010, while feeling creatively stunted, I took out a map of the USA and let my finger fall on Arizona. I needed to see some new scenery and had dreamed of driving the infamous Route 66 through the desert. So, I flew into Las Vegas, rented a car and drove from one side of Arizona to the other, following that iconic Mother Road. The result was an exhibition titled Arizona Neon and it fueled my love of the open road and all it has to offer.
Immediately upon returning home I gave myself a one year timeline to get all my ducks in a row to live on the road full time. I had an idea; I would call my van The Barter Van and had intentions of trading my art for things I needed, such as a place to park the van to sleep and food. I had varying amounts of success with this and what I learned from those experiences is invaluable. The resulting exhibition, Roadside America, was a wonderful and enjoyable challenge to create and I was very happy with it's success.
