the artist.

Welcome to the colourful chaos of my mind, presented one canvas at a time.

I am an artist based in Edmonton, Alberta, who works primarily in acrylic/oil paint and graphite/ink illustration with a current focus on abstract art and surrealism. However, I formerly spent most of my creative career in realism. My current artistic journey is tying realism and abstraction together into a unified whole to explore the human experience, psychology, and metaphysics.

In 2021, during the pandemic, I finally decided to leap from my decades-long practice of sketching and drawing into my too long-deferred dream of painting. In 2023, I released my first work to the general public and was blown away and humbled at the interest and support I have received ever since.

I work in Data Science by day, supporting the development of artificial intelligence and data-driven insights to improve the delivery of public services; by night, I unleash the suppressed chaos and explore the unquantifiable parts of my life. Art is not my profession but my passion. However, as you can see… The seemingly conflicting dichotomies of my above personal philosophy are very much my mode of life.

Colman Creative’s endeavours are heavily supported by my Chief People Officer and Director of Client Relations, Freddie Mercury Colman, a 2.5-year-old Brittany Spaniel and the best little shadow and soul dog a man could ask for. We cannot guarantee action on notes left in the complaint box if eaten. We, boyish agents of chaos, are reined in by my wonderful partner Stacey’s brilliant, sober second thoughts, whose keen sense of style and sharp aesthetic insights keep the chaos controlled and directed towards purpose.

So welcome to our small corner of the internet in which we are delighted to share our journey with you. Please visit my portfolio pages to view our highlights over the years and our shop if you want to purchase what we currently have available. You can also find detailed information if you are interested in our commission process or further information on purchases.

the perspective.

In my eyes, the human experience is a blend of logic and emotion, Apollo and Dionysus, feelings and thoughts, reason and madness. Humans embody rationality and irrationality, creating a beautiful harmony of these seemingly opposing forces. For me, abstraction and surrealism express this harmony: order and chaos coming together to express meaning.

Art has always been a place for introspection, processing, and safety for me. A new world to leave to where reality’s pressures and traumas melt away into a world of possibility and exploration. Whether good times or bad, my hands have always been able to express better the things my mouth could not. My ever-changing Narnia.

I engage in many constantly evolving styles and techniques: stitching them together then deconstructing and reconstructing them once again. Perhaps a symptom of my overactive ADHD-driven mind, but being funnelled into a single style or specialty is like oil and water to me. I am constantly experimenting, learning, evolving… and searching for new ideas in parts unknown.

the motivation.

I have a general philosophy that, for too long, the art world has become needlessly elitist, snobbish, and pretentious. Perhaps it is the small-town prairie boy in me. Still, suppose art’s purpose becomes hopelessly esoteric – we as artists have lost our purpose in guiding people to explore life, themselves, and different perspectives through our work by gate-keeping this fundamental experience of life.

My purpose is to evoke an emotion, to make you wonder and ponder, to share a journey, or to bring you to a place with me that is not where you are standing. My hope is to make this accessible and available to everyone.

Whether we are exploring deeper truths together or creating something because it’s simply cool and aesthetically pleasing, I am grateful for the company on my journey and the fellowship my audience and clients provide.