2026-06-07

‍ We live in the second largest country in the world stretching east from the Atlantic Ocean, west to the Pacific, and spanning the Arctic Ocean from Labrador to the Yukon Territory. Our population in 2025 was about 42 million people. That is about 4.5 people per square kilometre. We have space, lots of space. This country of ours has diverse landscapes; ancient rocky Atlantic coastlines, endless prairies, boreal forests, arctic tundra and of course rugged mountains from the western edge of Alberta to Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii in the Pacific Ocean.

‍ I think some of the most dramatic and beautiful landscapes in Canada are tucked away in the southwest corner of Alberta. Members of the Group of Seven sketched the mountains and rolling prairie grasslands on several trips west. Cowley is a tiny village along Highway 3 with prairie grasslands to the east, the Porcupine Hills to the north east and Rocky Mountains along the western skyline with the mountains of Waterton Lakes National Park to the south.

‍ While driving to Lethbridge one snowy day I stopped and took a photo of this winter field just south of Cowley looking west toward the Crowsnest Pass. That photo became the inspiration for the attached acrylic painting.

Fleeting Moments of Beauty

2026-06-01

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‍Our world is amazing. We live in a constantly changing environment of light, colour and object. One moment darkness, the next filled with light. Sitting in bed in the early morning the sky is dark. Suddenly the clouds are illuminated with fiery reds and oranges of the sunrise. Five minutes later the clouds have turned a purple grey and the colourful moment of glorious sunrise is past. Another ordinary/extra-ordinary day is under way. Look for beauty, it's there waiting to be discovered. When you see the beauty, savour the moment.

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‍Back Yard Sunrise, Hillcrest Mines, Alberta

‍Original Image: Acrylic on Canvas, 16X20 in

The Art of Perception

2026-03-09

Every artist observes, contemplates and produces works. Photography pushes visual awareness everywhere in the world around each of us. How can composition be extracted from the whole? What does line add? Try this: Go for a walk. Every 25 steps stop turn a 360 and find a composition to sketch. Sharpen your visual awareness to see the world of art that is hiding in plain sight.

Thoughts on Artistic Expression

2026-02-10

‍As an artist the beginning for me is always in a thought process. It’s a reaction to or interaction with the world around me. This initial interaction leads to a mindful consideration of media, stylistic interpretation and use of colour. Artistic expression is in a state of constant evolution of my life as an artist. The artwork becomes a communication bridge between artist and viewer. Every artwork becomes the starting point for the next work. There are no greater or more important works, just series of artistic experiments, each one leading to the next exploration. This visual communication between artist, media and viewer become the dynamic for creative communication.