CMD SHADES

The Summer That Changed Everything

I didn’t come to painting by choice at first — I came to it by accident.

At fifteen, a boating accident left me in a cast for most of the summer. My mother, determined that I wouldn’t spend those months doing nothing, made a decision that would quietly shape my life: she enrolled me in oil painting classes.

What began as a way to pass the time quickly became something more. I discovered not only the pleasure of working with color and texture, but the satisfaction of creating something that spoke to others. At sixteen, I held my first vernissage while still in high school. For the first time, I realized that what I created could leave the studio and find a place in someone else’s world.

In 1978, I sold my very first painting to a Quebec City businessman for $150 USD — a moment that stayed with me, not because of the money, but because it confirmed that art could create connection.

Life eventually took me in other directions, but painting never truly left me. Over the past two years, I’ve returned to visual expression through pastel, guided by Harvey Seagull, a true master of the craft. Working alongside him has deepened my appreciation for light, restraint, and the quiet power of color.

Today, these works are not about proving anything. They are simply the result of time, curiosity, and a long conversation with color that began many years ago.

I thought I would share a few of my recent productions.