I am primarily a self-taught artist, with my earliest formal training beginning in elementary and high school. I attended Downsview Secondary School in North York, Ontario, a fine arts–focused school where I studied visual art, music, and theatre.

During my graduating year, I performed the lead role in the school production of We Have Always Lived in the Castle, directed by Ruth Green, with music direction by David Richards.

My visual art education was supported by the collective teaching and mentorship of the school’s fine arts faculty.

I graduated from Downsview Secondary School following Grade 13 and went on to attend York University in North York, Ontario, completing my first year in General Arts.

I had hoped to continue into second year with a focus on Visual Arts and/or Dance. However, circumstances at home made continuing my education impossible. With limited family support, both emotionally and financially, I left university to care for my mother during a period of illness.

Dance and writing have always been among my first loves, alongside visual art.

These disciplines continue to inform the way I think about movement, expression, storytelling, and creative possibility.

After leaving university, I lived in downtown Toronto for three years, working at Renaissance Café. I began as a server and eventually became a manager.

In 1983, I travelled alone across Canada by train, making my way west to begin a new chapter in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Living in Steveston, BC, introduced me to a rich community of tradespeople and makers—shipwrights, carpenters, welders, farmers, and artists.

Their skills, craftsmanship, and connection to the land and working community deeply influenced my creative perspective.

After spending many years at home raising my sons and family, I developed a strong interest in welding and steel fabrication.

In 2008, I attended the United Association Piping College of BC (UA 170), the Piping Union’s private training college. I studied steel fabrication, graduated with honours, and earned my CWB certification.

My creative and community interests have also extended into advocacy and public projects. I have been involved in political and community initiatives focused on food security, coal and resource issues, conservation, farming, and the well-being of local communities.

My journey as an artist has therefore been shaped by many forms of learning—formal education, self-directed study, family, community, craftsmanship, the trades, nature, and lived experience. I see these experiences not as separate paths, but as interconnected influences that continue to inform my work.