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Driftwood I

March 6, 2026.

There is something utterly compelling about the soft curves of the female form within the raw elements of nature. The aging palette of driftwood in conjunction with the tender life of a woman’s skin create a symbiotic narrative that perpetually draws the viewer in and around a given work of art. Clothing, metal, glass, the hard edges of a straight line, … anything artificial tends to take away from the natural beauty of this new body of work.

Driftwood II

The unforgiving, raw quality of the Alberta landscape appeals to my senses and has truly become the canvas upon which I write. I choose to wield my own body not for display, but rather necessity, as I cannot ask any model to take on the inherent risk or toll on the body that I am willing to go through for a given shot. I have fallen out of a tree when a massive limb cracked, experienced hypothermia, minor shock, abrasions, bruising and my most recent finished work “Shaimaylia” involved the use of toxic paint surrounding both my eyes and a found snare around my neck. The intent is never to injure or harm, but to tell a story by whatever means necessary.

An artist must be transparent, authentic, vulnerable … this is our job and the gift we bring to society. To be naked is to be vulnerable and pushing my body to extremes is an integral aspect of my narrative both in and out of studio. If there is no inherent risk, no discomfort, no driving force compelling an artist to create in a particular fashion, then that work will be empty.