Q. When did you start drawing? and painting?
I remember drawing gable houses when I was about 4-5 years old. I kept on doodling until I was about 8 or 9 yrs old when my father saw a rendered drawing of a German shepherd dog. I copied it off a book my father had. I guess my dad saw some talent and put me in a summer art class. I started with basic drawing and by the end of the summer I did my very first portrait. For painting, I didn't start until I was about 18 or 19 yrs old.
Q. As a child, do you recall a significant moment when you felt truly affected or inspired by any particular artwork or artist?
When I was small, I always looked up to my older brother named Jonah. Back then he would draw soldiers, tanks, war planes and ships. I was always drawn to his drawings and all that war stuff. I remembered once he drew a caricature of old earth walking with a cane. It was a neat drawing.
Q. What school or what course did you take for fine arts?
I went to University of Toronto to study fine arts. My plan was to become an art teacher in elementary or high school. I did not like my experience in University. The art program was not a right fit. Actually I didn't finish university and was in a limbo so I found myself in fashion design at Sheridan College. I also enrolled in classical animation that summer. I just had a knee operation and figured why not do animation, sit down and just draw. There I did tons of life drawing and fell in love with animation.
Q. Do you live off your art or do you have a full-time job?
My day job is a 3D animator for a vfx company north of Montreal called Hybride Technologies. I do teach art and draw/paint on the side as a hobby or passion. My goal is to eventually live off my art one day when I retire or close to retirement. :)
Q. Do you enjoy doing animation more than doing visual arts?
I love doing both. They are quite similar and in fact most art share the same structure or workflow. Drawing, painting, sculpting, animating.... they all start very basic with the blocking where everything is general and evolves into more and more complex shapes and details.
Q. What is your favorite medium or media in fine arts?
My favorite medium is oil. It is very versatile and has many ways to work with. You can paint it with layers or do an alla prima. You can do the application with brushes or a palette knife. Textured or smooth finish...so many possibilities.
Q. As an artist, what do you hope to convey with your work?
With my work, I always try to show the beauty within and outside. I always thought that there is always something beautiful in any subject I choose to work whether its a portrait of a girl, still life or a simple landscape. I believe we see and know beauty and it is innate in us what beauty is.
Q.
What memorable responses have you had to your work?
I remembered someone telling me that I was using a projector. lol
Q. What is your dream project?
I have too many! but one of them would be working on a fresco. Another is doing a sculpture on marble. Another is a sculture in bronze and get to do the bronze casting process. Another challenge would be to start an art school dedicated to classical arts. I also would like to learn how to make a violin!
Q. What artists, of any medium, do you admire? (Famous or not!)
This is another long list... lol. Off the top of my head would be Richard Schmid... Mark Boedges, Daniel Keys, Marc Dellassio, Jeremy Lipking, Daniel Greene, Bill Cone, Frank Serrano, Carol Marine and the list goes on...And there are still plenty I have yet to discover!
Q. What advice do you give to other artists starting out their journey as a visual artist?
My advice would be:
"Do what you like to do, do what inspires you. Set you goals high and never give up. Talent without practice and hard work will only get you so far."
