I'm an acrylic painter, and I like to put whimsical and surreal twists on nature and animals. A few of my favourite series I've created are my "Fungeyes" which put round human-like eyes on mushrooms, "Creatures as Confused as I Am" which use mushrooms as the base of animal hybrids, each with a big eye in the centre. Finally, I really enjoy painting bears that have forests growing out of their backs to integrate them with their environments, and animals with vividly colourful fur.

Growing up on and living on Vancouver Island on the West Coast of Canada, I'm surrounded by amazing landscapes and wonderful creatures. I've always been fascinated by the natural world, and along with colour and a childlike sense of wonder I get to play by mixing different features together, and creating new fun imagined creatures, or colourful interpretations of wildlife.

In March 2026 I took the leap to go full time with painting. Having a monetary award like this would give me the freedom to take the time to truly dive into making my favourite surreal work, without having to worry about how long it may take for that very niche work to sell. It would give me the freedom to truly dive into the work I love without the pressures of the commercial art world. I would also enjoy using some of it to do some technical training to improve my painting techniques.