Volume 17 Issue 1 » 67 superimposed it on the wall so the team could see how it would look in concept , and then , finally , we got to work on the actual painting . That took seven full days and was the most fun part .
Can you describe some of the work you ’ ve done for celebrity clients ?
I made a sculpture of Snoop Dogg in 2020 for the Canadian launch of 19 Crimes , an Australian wine . The sculpture was six foot seven , same height as Snoop Dogg , and was coated in fake gold . On the surface of the sculpture I tried to illustrate Snoop Dogg ’ s entire story : his westcoast life depicted by palm trees , lowriders and skateboards . We had to opt for safe imagery and couldn ’ t include anything cannabis related because , after all , the goal of the sculpture was to sell wine !
Who are your mentors , and what inspires you ?
Learning Disabilities Society LDS Access EV bus mobile classroom | Photo : Nik Molson
My mentor is Glen Hunt , who wrote the famous Molson Canadian spot for TV . He was my boss at Dentsu Canada in Toronto , but he took it upon himself to mentor and coach me , and quickly became a friend . I ’ m deeply grateful to him for helping to encourage my practice in illustration . My inspirations are comic books and cartoons with my favourites being Marvel Comics and Japanese animation . And if I had to choose two artists whose work really excites me , they ’ d be KAWS ( Brian Donnelly ) and Geoff McFetridge because of the boldness and graphic simplicity of their work .
What exciting projects do you have coming up ?
I ’ m excited about the launch of a refurbished basketball court I worked on at the Burnaby Boys and Girls Club . Hershey ’ s Chocolate and the NBA partnered together in a multi-year program called Sweeter Together , and they recruited me to help beautify the walls of the basketball court . My team and I hand painted a giant chocolate bar on the walls , with characters doing a cosmic high-five and cookies and cream in the middle . It was really fun .
Another project I just completed that I loved was the illustrative wrap I did for the Learning Disabilities Society ’ s bus , which is a mobile classroom that provides specialized support for children with learning disabilities . That was especially meaningful for me because I had severe Attention Deficit Disorder as a child , and had a really hard time focusing . I was in a special education class as a kid and , to this day , I still have trouble focusing . I just have better strategies to deal with that challenge , as an adult .
What ’ s in store for you for the future ?
I ’ m thrilled at the prospect of doing big public art sculptures , and just won a contract with the City of North Vancouver to complete sculptures by the Lynn Creek Community Centre , which will open to the public in 2023 . But I also think it ’ s important to provide mentorship opportunities to young illustrators and to give back to my community . Right now I ’ m a practicum host for Capilano University ’ s IDEA program , and I welcome their students to my studio where they get to work on real projects . Being able to draw for a living is pretty darn cool , and I ’ m grateful that every day I get to work at something I love doing .