Biography

 

A BRIEF NARRATIVE OF MY CAREER

 

I started drawing at age 4. I was more competent at drawing and sculpting by age 9. I had classical piano lessons from ages 9 to 14.

In high school, I initially wanted to be an Architect and at the time, I had to major in science & math. I majored in science-specializing in physics, advanced mathematics and drafting from high school and into college. I had an internship at an architectural firm in Montreal at the age of 16. While in college, I eventually decided to switch programs into Fine Arts because I wanted to be more creatively expressive.

Today, I am painter, multi-media artist, filmmaker, researcher and composer with a Diplome d’etudes Collegiales -Arts Plastiques , Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Fine Arts. I was taught painting by legendary Canadian painters & Fine Arts professors Yves Gaucher & Guido Molinari during my Bachelor of Fine Arts studies at Concordia University in Montreal Canada.

 

face and tours of a deep sea diver in water

 

After my Bachelor of Fine Arts studies at Concordia University, I was initially inspired to use encaustic painting by Canadian painter Tony Scherman. Years later, by some strange coincidence,Tony Scherman became my external advisor for my Master of Fine Arts thesis project at the University of Guelph, Ontario Canada.

I do not use a paint brush for my encaustic painting. I paint with rags and different grades of paper towels in order to paint. My encaustic technique employs oil paint mineral spirits and bee’s wax. I also use drawing materials such oil stick, oil bar and other traditional drawing materials. Artists often employ encaustic paint while the wax is hot. However, I often paint encaustic while the wax is cold. Tony Scherman referred to my use of encaustic as “cold encaustic”.  Although encaustic oil painting is a difficult technique, I feel it gives my work a greater use of transparency and light. I often work in a series because I feel it is the best way for me to develop my work.

 

 

I had been exploring two psychological themes of masked and unmasked portraits. I explore the theme of the hidden persona, in a series of masked portraits. Within the theme of the hidden persona, I develop how the person becomes the mask.  

 

 

In a series of unmasked portraits, that focuses on repressed desires, memories, fears and experiences that are behind the mask of the persona. 

 

 

 

Some of the influences and inspiration for my series of work come the writings and philosophies of Joseph Campbell (The Mask of God), Sigmund Freud (Das Ich und das Es), Carl Jung (The Integration of the Personality) as well as several mythologies from Africa, China, India, Japan and native North and South America. I had exhibited these works in US commercial art galleries such as the Grand Opening exhibition at the Udinotti Gallery in San Francisco & the Refiguring exhibition at Gallery 10LTD. in Washington, D.C.   

 

    

I had been developing several series of works exploring light and movement in underwater environments. I explore two basic properties of light within these series of works. In one series of works, I explore how light is a form of energy conveyed through an empty space water.

 

 

This energy in the form of light is always moving through water, and its movement is affected by motion in water. In another series of works, I explore a second basic property of light which is that a beam of light can convey information from one place to another. In underwater environments, this information concerns both the source or origin of light and also any objects that have been partly reflected, refracted, or absorbed within this beam of light. I feel that the light and / or beams of light in my work act as a probe exploring and discovering something or someone that is moving in the darkness. I also explore the effects of something or someone moving underwater. 

 

 

These effects of motion in water create waves, pockets of air or bubbles and distortion. Some of the influences and inspiration for my series of work come the writings, philosophies and /or works of:

 


I exhibited my first large- scale art & science installation, titled The Glory Project at Star Theatre in the Planetarium de Montreal. A Glory is a circular rainbow formed on top clouds. The Glory Project involved projecting thirteen digitally enhanced scanned slides of paintings of a cloud Glory on the 20-metre-wide dome ceiling of the Star theatre in the Planetarium de Montreal. This was my University of Guelph Master of Fine Art thesis exhibition. 

 

 

Each slide dissolves into the next-creating a Glory in transformation accompanied by the song Ave Maria (by Giulio Caccini-1550-1618). Some of the influences and inspiration for the Glory Project come from the writings, philosophies and / or works of theory of Gesamtkunstwerk (the total work of art), Philipp Otto Runge’s unfinished work Morning (1809), Gustave Mie (Mie Theory). 

 

 

I had just completed a two year presentation of my previous Masters of Fine Arts Degree thesis installation titled the Glory Project at the Planetarium de Montreal when I heard about a newly discovered atmospheric phenomena called a Red Sprite. 

 

 

It was the late Dr Davis D. Sentman from the University of Alaska , United States that encouraged me to pursuit my research on Red Sprites and to contact Dr. Walter A Lyons. My research subsequently led me to work in a collaboration with renown Meteorologist the American Meteorological Society-2005; President-2007-08 of the National Council of Industrial Meteorologists) American scientist Dr. Walter A. Lyons: FMA Research – Sky-Fire Productions in Colorado. This collaboration eventually led to Dr. Lyons receiving a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for the creation of his 42-minute film titled The Hundred Year Hunt for Red Sprites and the creation of my film/video titled Lightning’s Angels.

Lightning’s Angels is a six minute video that combines digitally enhanced oil paintings of a Red sprite, in various states of transformation, accompanied by the song MISERERE from the CD STATE OF GRACE by Paul Schwartz featuring the Joyful Company of Singers.  Works and research from this collaboration were presented / exhibited in events & forums in many countries around the world for over a decade.

 

 

My film titled Polaris Terrarum comes from the Latin – meaning Polar Earth. This film is an imaginative journey of images that travels through the ionosphere (high in the earth’s atmosphere) from one Polar Region to the next -exploring atmospheric disturbances caused in part by global warming. The images demonstrate a view from a high flying aircraft or Space Shuttle. The imagery also chart the shrinking size and changing color of the polar region as seen from views from up above. This film is accompanied by the song Veni Redemptor Gentium from the CD STATE OF GRACE by Paul Schwartz featuring the vocals of Lisbeth Scott.

 

 

I am still in the process of collaborating with scientists and science teams to further develop this project.

My work is in several collections (including the Alcan Corporate Collection).

Many of my previous beforementioned multimedia projects would be considered today as examples of Immersive Arts. Immersive art is about becoming a part of something far greater than the body, absorbing yourself totally by standing within and not before the artwork.

Up to 2018, I had many lecture /film presentation & exhibition tours around the world. These tours included lectures /film presentations & exhibitions at many of the world’s most prestigious universities , museums , centres and institutions.  Please see ACHIEVEMENTS & TOURS for more detail.

From 2008 to 2022, I continued collaboration with scientists and researchers on several projects based on the natural world as well as new atmospheric scientific discoveries on this planet and beyond.

During the Covid pandemic 2020-2022 , I learned to create & compose music / sound art based the natural world. My influences are all forms of progressive music and sound art. Please see MUSIC and YOUTUBE for examples of my music videos which feature my video editing and music from 2021 to 2024. Since 2023, I continued to create music videos (visual musical art) based on certain themes of the natural world, dance and the human experience.