When I was 16 years old I started my first fluorescent light garden in my basement bedroom. I started rescuing any tropical plants I could find from the local grocery store, and pretty soon had a small forest going on. After I bought my first bromeliad I became obsessed with epiphytes. I had quite the collection; branches festooned with air plants towered over my little forest and became my favorite part of my artificial ecosystem. A visit to the Montreal botanical garden when I was 17 changed the course of my life forever. I'll never forget my first visit-walking into the greehouses and smelling the plants breathe. Huge cork trees had bromeliads of every color of the imagination, and among them were orchids, clutching the branches with their network of roots. I had seen them all in my horticulture books, but in person I was enthralled. The roots, the bulbs, the blooms-I had to have! And it began...
My little tropical forest rapidly evolved into my first orchid setup. The tropical plants were located elsewhere and every orchid I could get my hands on was moved in. I began pouring over books and catalogs, furiously writing out wishlists and spending imaginary money. My new mission became blooming any orchid known to man in my basement garden. If somebody told me I couldnt bloom it, I had to try it. I was hooked. My first orchid show experience came shortly after, and I was enamoured of seeing so many different types in one room.
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From then on out, my passion in art changed completely. My fantasy artwork was set aside and a series of orchid paintings were set in motion. The Dragons and Wizards were shelved, incomplete. Orchid blooms became my focus; all of my work was centered on my favorite species and hybrids. I started incorporating birds in more naturalistic settings a few years ago and stopped painting in traditional botanical style. Being infatuated with rainforest flora and fauna, I began to create my own versions of paradise. Almost all of my subjects I have never seen in person and I rely on photographs to capture them accurately. My challenge as a nature artist is finding the balance between scientific fact and my own imagination. I hope to convey my love and appreciation of mother natures creations to my viewers!
I juggle my painting time between my full time job as a cake decorator and a dad to my three beautiful girls. My wife Stephanie and I also manage our 150 or so orchid plant collection, and enjoy the hobby together. When I am not painting or caught gazing into my plants, I am usually fawning over one of our many pets. My own parrots, Dart frogs and Chameleons provide my with constant inspiration!
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