Born and raised in Toronto, annual excursions to cottage country nurtured a deep appreciation for the peace and tranquility of the countryside. Alone in the backseat I gazed wistfully at the passing idyllic scenes with their grassy meadows and graceful elms. Later while visiting various stately homes of friends around Toronto, or attending ballet workshops in a turreted old Victorian, I would be suddenly captured by a dark and moody landscape in gilded frame and be lulled into a quiet respite by the serene, atmospheric, ethereal glow. The emotion evoked by these experiences, dotted throughout my life's journey, have been etched on my very being. My goal is for my paintings to evoke that same feeling.