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I would like to give thanks to the Almighty Creator for giving me talents and gifts to share with all peoples.
I am a member of the Eastern Woodlands Metis Nation but now reside on the Sunshine Coast, land of the Shishalh (Sechelt) Nation.
My greatest desire is for my art to be a vehicle of unity between peoples. I want to bring the hope of friendship through the beauty of art.
Born in 1969 in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to a coal mining family, I grew up in Brantford, Ontario where I was influenced by the people of the Six Nations. I was always fascinated by the Iroquois Ethiso:da' (False Face) Mask which drew me into interacting with the Six Nations people and learning their ways. After attending the Chiefswood PowWow, my love of the Native Spirit was born and gave me the desire to learn about Pauline Johnson and her connection to the west. My early art was fiercely prolific; it reflected this inspiration and I mainly used the mediums of lead pen and ink, and paint. I carved one piece in soapstone.
Expo 86, with its mystical ethos, lured me to the West Coast as a young man. I spent a year in Vancouver absorbing its art and culture. When I discovered the Sunshine Coast, it felt like home. In the tiny town of Egmont, I produced a lot of art for the community but my recovery from alcoholism stymied my artistic creativity for almost 10 years as I regrouped, and created a family and a new community for myself.
Soon after the death of my father, I learned the craft of knife-making from Grey Cloud Diegle, a great craftsman and known area knife maker. This opened the doorway to carving for me. Through my adventures, the Creator brought me to a master carver who was very generous in teaching me how to make West Coast Native carving knives. He then taught me how to use those knives, specifically in the Kwakwaka'wakw tradition, in learning the art of carving beside him.
I'm now making mountains out of wood chips.
