I spent my earliest years growing up in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, before my family moved east to the Canadian prairies. Ever since, I've had a nostalgia for Canada's Pacific Northwest; a nostalgia for the mountains, the woods, the fog, the rain, and particularly for the Native art.
When I was eight years old, I decided to try my hand at creating my own miniature version of the totem poles which punctuated some of my earliest memories. I borrowed my dad's Swiss Army knife, found a piece of deadwood, and promptly succeeded in slicing my thumb wide open. It would be the first of many scars.
Throughout the years, a dabbled with woodcarving here and there. When I was twelve, I made what might pass as first miniature totem pole out of scrap pine, using a handsaw and my own Swiss Army knife. When I was sixteen, I made a much better one out of basswood, using my first carving knife, which was given to my by a generous old carver from Powell River, BC (thanks Ron!). I've experimented with various woods since, and have tentatively settled on yellow cedar, a traditional West Coast material, as my staple.
Since high school, I've worked enough jobs and attended enough schools to learn that I don't like being told what to do. I figured I'd list some of my more recent carvings to see if they might help me acquire a little independence. I hope you enjoy!