contemporary figurative artist
About
The artist behind the work
I’m a Scottish-born Canadian designer and visual artist based in Calgary. I’ve been immersed in creativity since childhood, developing a lasting appreciation for the power of visual expression. After more than two decades working in design, I returned to my long-held passion for fine art in 2023, focusing on oil painting and drawing.
My artistic practice centres on the human figure and the intricate relationships we share—with ourselves, with one another, and with our environment. Through portraiture, I explore the subtleties of human emotion: joy, sadness, longing, and the uncertain space between them.
Seeing and Being Seen
My work explores the tension between seeing and being seen. My own experience of the world shapes an interest in the challenges of connection: reading another person’s perspective, meeting their gaze, and understanding what lies beyond outward expression.
My paintings explore these tensions through the relationship between figure and ground. A subject may turn away, dissolve into the background, or become interrupted by gestural marks. At other times, attention narrows to a single detail. These approaches allow a portrait to remain recognisable while questioning how much of a person can truly be seen.
The work is not an invitation for sympathy or special treatment. It asks the viewer to pause and consider what it means to see another person—and to be seen in return. I am interested in the beauty, vulnerability and complexity that exist in moments of connection and disconnection.
As an Exhibiting Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, I continue to develop this body of work through oil painting and drawing, seeking to capture fleeting emotions and quiet truths that resonate beyond the initial glance.
