Welcome to my Art Studio
Before I began art, I was immersed in the academic rigours of research in engineering at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. Upon completion of Masters in Engineering Science in electrical engineering, I felt as if I was set free, and I could spend my free time on things I loved most- drawing and sketching. A pastime that started as a hobby became a passion in short order. I explored sketching the human form with graphite and moved onto charcoal. Feeling adventurous with my art, I decided to take a course at the Realist Academy of Art in Toronto. There I learnt principles of sight-sizing, sketching from life and representational art. As I grew with my skills, I finally came to the realization that my true passion was not in fact, the accurate representational reproduction of a visual subject, but rather the artistic interpretation of what was before me. I preferred having the freedom to alter or change boundaries and edges, and give the viewer freedom to interpret my art. For me it took a fair bit of time to understand what avenue of art I truly wanted to pursue. I have eventually realized I am drawn to the impressionist expression of art, where I have complete freedom of choice in how I use my medium.
In my art today, I try to create visual narratives to express a story that stirs the human spirit. Having a technical background, my approach to making art is analytical and systematic. I try to set up a stage on my canvas using an underlying design geometry with a deliberate harmonious placement of shapes to elicit a focal point. I establish mood and drama by carefully selecting an appropriate value-scale. Much like finding a solution to a complex mathematical problem, I establish the larger constraints first, such as the design geometry and value-scale, followed by a simplified placement of abstract shapes to interpret a scene. Once I convince myself of the scaffolding I have set up on my canvas, I use value, colour-temperature, edges, texture, and brush strokes to render my artistic vision with my medium of choice. This tends to be the lengthy iterative process of improving and changing finer elements until I am satisfied with the final result. Often before undertaking a larger piece, I will test out my ideas in smaller colour studies and sketches.
Recently, I was elated to find out that my work was accepted at the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA) headquartered in Vancouver with multiple Chapters nationwide. I am now an Exhibiting Member at the FCA and am affiliated with the Toronto Chapter. Much of my work can be found on the FCA website.
