About Neil

My parents instilled in me a great love of the outdoors. I remember my Dad taking me for drives down back roads and fishing in the different rivers along the way. My Mom was somewhat of a bird whisperer and I witnessed her nurse many wounded birds to full recovery which influenced my love of birds today.  Their unwavering support throughout the early days of art school had a profound impact on my life and future goals as an artist.   After completing a 2 year art diploma (where I met Anita, the love of my life), I had still not found my real focus with art, but did have a much wider exposure to different mediums.  In addition to my love for drawing, I found new interests in photography, printmaking and pottery.

In 2003 when Anita and I made the decision to be full time artists, it was a natural progression to combine all these methods to create images on the pottery that reflects my surroundings.  Although I often use similar images in my work, I find they will evolve as I get to know more about the subject by spending time out in the field observing wildlife. This time is crucial for me to recharge and build the connection between what I see and what I produce in the studio. The more I know about a subject, the more I enjoy creating. Salmon and water patterns are a reoccurring theme in my work as I believe salmon are the lifeblood of our coastal waterways, not only as an important food source to our of B.C. wildlife but also as important nutrient source for the forests along the salmon spawning grounds. My goal is to create a piece that people can feel a connection to and perhaps relate to their own experiences.  The reason cups make up a big portion of my work is because of the personal nature they have.  In the course of a day, most people will have a cup in their hands and touch it to their lips several times while enjoying a favourite drink in either a time of quiet contemplation or shared conversation with friends and family.  I like to think that when someone takes home a piece of pottery, they are also bringing with them a shared experience of this beautiful island we live on.