I have always had a love for art and the challenges it offers. The biggest challenge of all was finding the confidence to sell my creations. Every artist has a diffent story and mine is slightly less conventional than others. I was living in South Carolina trying to figure out my place in the world. I'd been through university but had definitely chosen the wrong degree. Feeling lost, I bought a ticket with a friend and went on a backpacking holiday to Australia. That was in 1993 and I'm still here today.

While working as a bartender I was given the job (in addition to scrubbing the floor) of decorating a blackboard that we used to promote music acts. The longer I spent on designing the boards, the less floor scrubbing I had to do. These signs resulted in a customer complimenting my work and requesting a few chalk drawings for her home. While I didn't really profit financially from the experience, the fact that someone would want my drawings inspired me. This newfound confidence was a stepping stone to having a "gallery night" at a local restaurant and finding ten different restaurants in Canberra to exhibit my work.

I started selling my pastel drawings at a local market called the Old Bus Depot Markets in 1999. The market was a wonderful opportunity to gain immediate exposure to thousands of local and international buyers. Becoming involved with the market was a fortunate decision as it allowed me to meet and work with other creative-minded people. I had the freedom of painting with different mediums and experimenting with styles. It was during this time that I found a passion for bold colours emotive themes. I wanted to retain a sense of humour in my subjects as well. A client base began to build through commissioned work. As my reputation developed I began to meet people who offered new opportunities.

Two friends that I made during this time were Mathew and Louise Judd. The three of us decided to merge our stalls into one large stall, continue to sell our own products but also create new ones- Mean Fish Design was born. The business had explosive growth. We immediately opened a store in a local mall which was followed by two more (another in Canberra and one in Sydney). A wholesaling arm was developed along with two additional market opportunities. The wholesaling was particular exciting and culminated in Mathew and Louise representing the business at an international trade fair in Birmingham, England. They were able to secure a number of contacts and orders to supply gift stores with our products.

Life was ticking on though and the time was right to take a step back. A baby (Noah) came into the picture followed quickly by his sister (Madeline). My priorites had to change and the time commitments of self employment were no longer realistic. While sad to part after 3 1/2 years together I knew Matt and Louise would continue to evolve the business. It still carries on the tradition of quality hand-painted artwork today. I enrolled into a two year program studying graphic design. It offered me the opportunity to be creative in the digital sense. It allowed me to gain a new skill and find a job in a field I enjoy. Most importantly, though, it enabled me to spend more time with my new family.

Have I put down the brushes - not at all. I've currently gone back to my childhood roots and have switched back to oil paints. I'm retraining myself to paint more traditionally and will then evolve a new style from that. I still do commissioned work and will happily listen to any offered suggestions. And finally- a big thanks to my wife Emily for supporting me while I've indulged this creative passion for the last 12 years.