I grew up on a Saskatchewan farm situated in a landscape of rolling hills, small lakes, and copses of trees. When I was four I started drawing. One of my earliest memories is of drawing a dog and being praised by my parents. As a teenager, my piano teacher Bernice McCosh introduced me to the Group of Seven, opening the door for me to the world of 20th century art.

At the University of Saskatchewan, a painting professor became an inspiration for me as an artist. Abstract painter Otto Rogers encouraged me to paint and suggested that I forget about architecture—advice that I didn't heed at the time. At the University of Waterloo, I finished my architecture degree and worked in a Toronto  ... more »