Lately...

It has been a while since I last posted anything. Here's a brief insight into what I've been up to.

This past summer I spent a month in Gambo, Ethiopia teaching English and Art to children. As cliche as it may sound, it definitely was a life changing experience. As I was there to teach, it is crazy how much the children taught me. I am looking forward to help Children of Light, a non-profit organization I went to Ethiopia with, build their art program as well as to spread light, love and education to the community.

A piece I worked on with the kids.

Right after my time in Ethiopia, I spent some time in Europe, where I backpacked around Spain, Paris, Lausanne, Germany and the Netherlands. I was very fortunate to have met some really amazing people during my time. One of the most fulfilling things I learned is to help one another, and whenever I asked if there was anything I could do in return to show my gratitude, a common response I received was to pass it on. :)

Louvre, Paris

I went to many art galleries, including the Louvre in Paris and The Dali Museum in Figueres. I was very excited to experience certain paintings in person as opposed through textbooks and photos like I have for the past 5 years during my time at OCAD U. I was very inspired after having visited many museums and galleries.

Upon arriving back to Canada, I moved back in with my parents up in Vaughan. It was a tough adjustment, but I've learned that it is up to me to create my own environment for me to strive in. I created a little studio space in the basement for the time being. I'm currently working on a few pieces.

My little studio space.

4'x4' piece I'm working on, still very early stages. An extension from my Inception piece I created earlier this year.

A self-portrait in the works.

Before I always begin working on a piece, I work on a couple of smaller pieces to get my gears going. With that said, I always seem to do a self-portrait. It is a great way for me to analyze where I am at this point in time, and pushes me to reflect on the type of art I want to create. I'm very much interested in the psyche, and mental health, and I feel like these self-portraits are great start to larger themes I want to explore. One of them being identity.



On a complete side note,
To help raise money for Children of Light, we will be hosting a party at Creatures Creating on Saturday January 12, 2013. Check out the event page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/562565443757522/

Please contact me if you're interested in buying tickets. GOODNIGHT AND GLOW! :)