An artist’s work flows from the locality and community he or she serves and enjoys. I have been a teacher of English in Burlington and Oakville schools for thirty years, trying to share with young people my love of literature. It’s natural that my paintings reflect my years as a teacher and as one who loves stories. The books we read, and in particular, the images we are shown as children, make us part of a larger world and begin the process of shaping our values and sensibilities. My work builds on a tradition of art that originally served the written world but which is now being evaluated for its own sake: as cherished images embodying charm and whimsy.

Of course, we’re seeing the rebirth of the illustrative tradition through cinema, and in particular, computer generated images. Our community can claim to be at the centre of this trend, thanks to Sheridan College’s animation program. Having come to Canada from Britain in my youth, I have been immersed in the Anglo-American literary traditions which represent one aspect of the Canadian cultural mosaic. In my paintings I’m being true to a heritage many of us have enjoyed and wish to acknowledge.