The Whip Gallery - Age 9

   My 1st art show, which would become the major starting point to my career as an artist, came from an unexpected place…

One hot day in 2006, on the beaches of Yelapa, Mexico, my 9-year-old self was sketching contentedly in his “Doodle Book”.  Being home-schooled gave me the ability to travel with my parents every winter, backpacking all throughout Mexico, Central America, and the USA.  They fostered my interests in drawing and performing at an early age, so keeping a sketchbook handy was a daily activity.  I’d take out that spiral-bound book and draw at restaurant tables, in hotel rooms, and in this case, the beach.

The unexpected opportunity came from a woman named Wendy, who said she “owned a restaurant + gallery in Vancouver”.  She had curiously walked over to where I was sitting in the sand, and seeing that I was thoroughly engrossed in my drawings, she took an interest in my whimsical creations.  One invite & one year later, I was showing my 1st batch of work professionally, in a month-long exhibition at The Whip Restaurant & Art Gallery, in the heart of the Mt. Pleasant district of Vancouver (an area I would later be on a daily basis, when I moved to Vancouver 11 years later).  

I was elated with 9-year-old appreciation and beyond proud that people wanted to come see my creations.  The show was attended by family and strangers alike, viewing and buying my prints and paintings.  The evening was scored live by now-defunct band “Maria in the Shower”, who—along with other lovely artists who attended that evening (such as multi-talented performer Kat Single-Dain)—I am happy to call my inspirations, friends, and mentors.

The following is a gallery of memories: