An early attempt at traditional watercolour, which was painted for my mother for Christmas in 1985. I was seventeen.

I rarely use this medium, as I prefer textured shadows and opaque highlights. Watercolour is the opposite: the ground (paper) is used to reveal highlight.

15" x 11", pigment on Arches rag, 1985.

My first painting using oils. I was thirteen. This soon led to oil painting on commission: sunsets, waterwheels, churches, etc. (click here for those).

By painting for others, I earned enough money to keep my personal art (and life) going and to ultimately attend art college in Halifax.

22" x 18", oil on canvas board, 1981.

This was my first life drawing portrait from a live model (NSCAD student/model Paul O'Toole). It turned out well for a first attempt.

22" x 22", graphite on paper, 1987..

These yellow and pink rose acrylics were painted from 2000-2002 for a friend of my mother's who resides in Whitney Pier, Sydney, Cape Breton Island.

18" x 24", acrylic on canvas, 2000..
18" x 18", acrylic on canvas, 2002..

One of the first images I actually remember drawing. I was seven. It was placed in a grade school art show, then displayed in a local shopping mall with all the other Grade 2 art. It must have been a formative moment, as I still remember seeing this on public display.

17"x11", crayons on newsprint, 1975.