I got rejected by art school.

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At the time, it felt like the end of the world.

 

Turns out…

 

It was more like a very expensive career counselor saying, "Try another way."

 

Getting rejected forced me to ask a question I'd never really stopped to consider:

 

Why do I paint?

 

The answer has nothing to do with grades, galleries, or getting it "right."

It lets me be a kid again.

 

Remember that feeling when your homework was done, your chores were finished, and the rest of the day belonged entirely to you? I remember running through wildflowers, rolling down grassy hills, and lying on my back watching clouds drift across a bright blue sky.

 

That's what painting feels like.

 

Every time I walk into my studio, I get to play. I get to wonder. I get to make something that didn't exist an hour ago. There are no gold stars. No report cards. Just curiosity leading the way.

So yes, I was rejected by art school.

 

Best rejection I ever got.

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About me

Born in South Africa I emigrated to Canada with my young family in 1998. Art has always been part of my life. I attended art school and took workshops and classes at night, while working in Information Technology in South Africa. I moved to Bowen Island in 2005 and started offering workshops in 2010 which became a sold out hit year after year, with my very accessible teaching style. My work has been presented by several galleries in the Vancouver-Whistler area in the last decade.

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In 2026, I moved to Los Gatos, California, where I'm exploring new subject matter and painting every day!