MY HISTORY
For as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed helping others. While studying fine art at college and later in university, I used my relationships as my main subjects.
While in university, I fell in love with a fellow student, Lisa Langerak. We were both completing our Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. After dating for a couple of years, we moved to Nanaimo in 1990, where we decided to settle down; we were married in 1991. We have three wonderful grown-up sons: Dane, Dilan, and Dion.
During this time, I wanted to join a local Rotary club. Before I could reach out to join a club, I was approached by the Rotary Club of Nanaimo North – a club I’m pleased to say I still belong to today.
Like most artists, I decided not to pursue my main passion – art, as a profession to raise my family. Instead, I focused on developing my menswear career. Although I didn’t make art my major career at the time, I still wanted to create oil paintings with a purpose, so I became a commission painter – a service I still do today.
“ FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, I’VE ENJOYED HELPING OTHERS ”
After much time, I finally embarked on my first fine art project in 1997, a project about courtship based on a book written by Dr. Paul Dobransky. His work focused on the steps to a successful courtship and inspired me to create my first fine art exhibition that would help society, particularly young adults. To provide vital information about courting as they embark on their lives.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t devote enough time to this art project because I was kept busy running my menswear store and raising a young family. This fine art project ended up taking me ten years to be ready to set a date to exhibit in Manhattan, NY.
In January 2017, with the help of Ylenia Mino, a Rotaractor and artist living and working in Manhattan at the time, I was ready to rent a location. However, it was too late for me to continue using the material from Dr. Dobransky’s book for an exhibit. Dr. Paul said his material in the final courtship stage would need to be updated, and he did not want me to use the material in his book. I told him I understood and respected his decision. I’m happy to say that Ylenia now lives in LA and is a Rotarian from the LA5 Rotary Club of Los Angeles; she is developing her art career, and we stay in touch as much as possible and will work together one day.