Artist Statement

'My ultimate goal as an artist is to create artwork with an ability to engage and reward it's viewers that only grows stronger over the passage of time'

To bring to life a recognizable scene, subject or setting, working with brushes and paint on canvas, has been the challenge of countless artists going back beyond the time of recorded history.

I happily include myself among those, with an unwavering goal of getting something down that surpasses just capturing a likeness, instead targeting the ‘essence’. A successful piece by me must bring the audience along to the place the painting idea began, communicating the details of that moment; be they the quality of light, type of day, season of the year, and so much more. 

While the subjects and scenes of my paintings are most often sourced from the local rural countryside of my home in south central Ontario, I also include everything from animals to old homes, wild rivers, forest creeks, old and eclectic vehicles, and of course the grand splendour of the Georgian Bay coastline as paint inspiration.  My formal education and subsequent career as an illustrator trained me to enthusiastically tackle a vast array of painting challenges that continues with me into my present vocation as a fine artist. 

My work comfortably falls under the heading of realism. However my approach and technique is honed by a deep appreciation of artistic giants and their work, both living and passed on, who deftly created the impression of reality in their art without including all minutiae available. The target of every painting I undertake is to likewise communicate the painting subject in a faithful yet painterly fashion.

As with any true artist, I am never fully satisfied with any painting upon completion. Instead, I am grateful and proud for what was accomplished and eager to get back to the easel, and onto the next painting challenge.
don 

'Into the Wind'