Visual Art – Ottawa
Born: Petawawa, Ontario
Art Medium: Ink, watercolour, digital elements
Education: Self-taught through fearless exploration and many failed attempts.
I grew up in a place made perfect by the local beach, deep-hole swamps, turtle ponds and the beauty of the Canadian Shield - sacred ground for a curious child.
I'm very proud to say my ancestry hails from the Mik'maq people in New Brunswick and from the Irish folks across the pond – I'm Metis. When I learned that my Grandpa was Mik'maq' it was cool confirmation for the way I've always felt. Finding my Native heritage didn't change anything about how I draw – ink doesn't care. But I do like the fact that my ancestry comes from a place where they knew how to live well.
I have had no formal training, but drawings come to me and when they ask to be set free, I do my best to oblige. I feel a deep calling to my work as an artist and continually work to give back to other artists whenever I can. I believe in art, believe in its ability to reach across time and space. I believe in its ability to change us for the better. I also believe that everyone is an artist - even those who say they're not. We create every single day. When you smile at a stranger, you've created a remarkable ripple in the world. When you remove a piece of trash from the ground, you create a small sacred place that fills with gratitude in the absence of the refuse. We are all creators, we are all artists. This is my belief.
The Art For Aid Project has become a priority for me as an artist hoping to make a difference in Canada's Aboriginal art community as it pertains to our youth. The art I create is made with an underlying purpose - to raise money and bring about awareness of the need to fund Aboriginal art programs. It is my hope that this project grows and becomes dynamic and fluid in its ability to reach into the smallest of communities to benefit all students, and the communities they live and play in.
The Art For Aid Project is young, but the concept of bringing people together through art is not.
Throughout humanity, art is the common thread that weaves imagination with culture to provide a beautiful gift to all the world.
Miigwetch! Thank you!