All things being equal, I would probably have become a comic book artist. I was always struck by the stories that could be brought to life between the covers of my favorite comics, and the powerful images were indelibly fixed in my mind. Comics were able to render still images in such a manner that one could almost see movement and transition, and my imagination was served all the better by filling in the spaces between the comic frames with my own vision. It was not long before pencil and paper became part of my standard issue, and I became as intrigued by my own creative limits as I was by the stories I read as a youth.

Doodling is the artist’s worry beads. It occupies your time and creates a meaning to the minutes that otherwise may seem trivial, and it is a surreptitious way to hone your ability (sometimes without even realizing it). As a youth, I spent more than my fair share of classes doodling in notebooks while teachers droned on in the background; but I also spent many bus rides, family gatherings, and spare moments doing the same. And as I aged, I watched many of my friends slowly leave behind that youthful joy of drawing whatever entered your mind for whatever takes its place – studying, work, reality television, and the like. But I kept entertaining my muse out of the sheer joy of creation.

I have been employed in numerous office, retail, and labor jobs; I have been in the military; and I have travelled as much as my budget would allow. I have dabbled with being a “professional” student, spent summers unemployed, and have had to move more times than I can count. And the only constant through all of the adventures and misadventures was drawing. Whether painting, sketching, or simply attempting some new form of artistic expression, I have always drawn.

And it was with that in mind that I finally decided to attempt a living at it. In 2000, I entered Grant MacEwan Community College (before it re-upped into a university) and immersed myself in the Visual Communications Design program, majoring in Illustration; and upon graduation three years later, I stepped into the industry as a professional artist. Four years worth of learning experiences at local magazines, communication businesses and illustration houses later, I eventually found a home at ATB Financial as a graphic designer (where I am still employed).

That pays the bills and provides an excellent foundation for graphic design. But my personal projects allows me to creatively express ideas in different mediums with different goals outside of the corporate norm. I enjoy collaborating with aspiring entrepreneurs and artists: learning, experiencing and exploring beyond my own boundaries. Searching for the hidden form between frames, the point between A and B, and freelance projects has become the best outlet for satisfying that.

And, yes, I am still doodling.

Phone: 780-982-6018

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