A: The introductory courses I teach, VISA 106 and 108, introduce first-year students to artists in several areas of digital media. They create works in animation, digital imaging, graphic design and video production. I particularly enjoy teaching this class to people who think they can’t use the software or think they aren’t going to like it as much as traditional painting or drawing. I can’t win them all over but some of them start to discover a completely new outlet for expression. That’s pretty exciting.
In VISA 261 and 271, students deal specifically with making videos. We cover a wide spectrum of video production beginning with abstract-experimental films and moving to more complex narratives. The latter half of the year, students work in teams and collaborate with non-profits to produce promotional videos for their organizations. This is a particularly great project to secure client-based, real-world projects for students to include in their portfolios upon graduation.
Lastly, the advanced studio courses VISA 482 and 483 are among the most important to all BFA majors. Throughout their fourth year, students are tasked with maybe the hardest thing they’ve ever had to do: They have to become self-directed. No more assignment topics or criteria. Now they are forced to come up with their own criteria and figure out what speaks to them and, in turn, figure out what they want to say as artists. It’s not an easy task, as you could imagine. The growth that occurs is quite rewarding to watch.
A: I’ve been pretty fortunate to work creatively in a lot of different areas and mediums. I’ve been an art director, graphic designer, web designer, artist, animator, photographer, illustrator, filmmaker, print-maker, painter…. I wear many different hats and it’s this adaptability and diversity that really helps me in the classroom. I’ve now taught both art and design quite intimately and, because of my background, I feel comfortable being in a position to offer guidance to students no matter what medium they are working in.
I wear many different hats and it’s this adaptability and diversity that really helps me in the classroom.
A: I’m balancing both art and design projects at the moment. I’m responsible for all product and package design for BNA Brewing. Also, I’ve collaborated with digital-media students in a directed-study course to produce promotional videos for the products.
I started Draw By Night in Kelowna, which is a collaborative and social drawing party that involves faculty, students, industry and the general public. Each event asks the participants to experiment and draw in collaboration while engaging in a night of networking. There have been 18 parties to date that are hosted at the Kelowna Art Gallery and the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art. I started these parties in Vancouver about seven years ago and since then, there are chapters in Toronto, Germany and Nanaimo. I always enjoy projects that engage local community in some way; this is one of my favorites.
I’m developing a new series of work centered around Robert Lake and Little Robert Lake, located west of the university along Curtis Road. Robert Lake is a natural saline lake, protected by the Okanagan Naturalists’ Club and is home to over 100 migrating species of birds. The lake and surrounding area require a balance between human and ecological life. I intend to portray a fantastical relationship with humans and this sensitive — and potentially doomed —ecological system. Blending the ‘real’ with the ‘imagined’, the piece will inform [the public about] the current state of the lakes and their inhabitants, while also promoting a sustainable relationship between humans and our environment… starting with our own backyard.
Blending the ‘real’ with the ‘imagined’, the piece will inform [the public about] the current state of the lakes and their inhabitants, while also promoting a sustainable relationship between humans and our environment… starting with our own backyard.
