I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.
My father passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in 2019. One minute, he was here; the next, he was not. Apart from not getting to say goodbye or resolving a truckload of issues, I was suddenly faced with my mortality. If I were struck down tomorrow, I would be selfish to complain; I have lived more in my short time than anyone could hope for. I have a fantastic daughter, partner and family, yet I can’t help but feel I need to do more, see more, live more.
Same Boat, Different Ocean
Well, it’s 2024, and I’ve been inactive for too long! If you’ve explored my site, you probably know how much I’ve missed my beloved sailboat. Luck has smiled upon me—I’ve found the same boat, a Pacific Seacraft 37, just one hull number older than my last one, Karinoyo, which was the 331st in the series. My new boat, Wild, is number 330. Wild needs some upgrades like new electronics, much like Karinoyo did. Currently, Wild is patiently awaiting the end of hurricane season in the US Virgin Islands. This November, I’ll return to complete a few projects on the boat. In January, our journey begins: first to the Bahamas, then to Bermuda, followed by Halifax, and up the St. Lawrence River to Lake Ontario, where I’ll finish the refit.
My daily reprieve from the heat and boat work, a small island that I shared with a baby Reef shark.
Giving Back
2023 was a year of travel and amazing experiences. I was fortunate enough to work with Catalyst+ on a few assignments, teaching people in less fortunate countries how to use digital media to grow their businesses or brands. I made wonderful friends and experienced an amazing array of different cultures. Most importantly, I learned to appreciate my life, my country, and the privileges that are mine simply because of where I was born.
Alone on a boat
In 2022, I made a bold decision to elevate my life. I did something that might seem unconventional to many—I purchased an offshore sailboat on the opposite coast of the country. Shortly thereafter, I moved aboard and embarked on an extraordinary journey to one of the Earth’s most remote corners, the Great Bear Rainforest. For months, I navigated alone through challenging and sometimes perilous conditions that still haunt my thoughts. Beginning in late May and lasting until November, this voyage was a profound experience.
I named my boat Karinoyo, derived from the Japanese term meaning “this transient world,” symbolizing a realm where I could freely roam from one place to another. As I ventured north, I found myself completely isolated and faced both terror and beauty in equal measure. While I acknowledge that many have undertaken more extensive solo sailing expeditions, for me, this journey pushed my limits to new heights—it was truly epic and transformative.
During this adventure, I not only obtained my captain’s license but also acquired a wealth of sailing knowledge that feels like a lifetime’s worth.
In the depths of winter’s darkest days, I accepted an offer from someone to buy my cherished vessel. If I’m truly honest with myself, I believe I was apprehensive about the extensive voyage that awaited—sailing counterclockwise around North America to the North Atlantic. The day my boat was sold, tears flowed freely, and I’ve carried regret for that choice ever since.
Thank you, Karinoyo, for safeguarding me throughout it all. Fair winds.
Making a living as an Artist
As high school graduation approached, I asked my art instructor: “How can I sustain myself as an artist?” His response was rather blunt: “You don’t… well, maybe consider commercial art.” Oddly, despite my ongoing photography work and focus on illustration in class, he didn’t mention those avenues. In the end, I pivoted, entering and ultimately leaving a graphic design program to pursue photography more intensely—a craft that, yes, required formal study back then.
Jumping ahead a few decades, I felt compelled to revisit that old question and decided to take action. I set myself a challenge: six months to significantly improve my skills in watercolour painting and generate enough sales to support myself. Surpassing my own expectations, I ended up not only selling my artwork but also establishing a gallery in a tourist hotspot, complete with my own brand of watercolour paint and art classes. Just as I was about to sign a lease to expand my art school, the pandemic struck, halting everything in its tracks.
From Digital Photography to a century old letterpress
I had a strong background in modern printing and desktop publishing, what could go wrong…
Ever wondered what a letterpress is? I certainly did. Essentially, it’s a mechanical press that uses physical type to imprint ink onto paper. Nowadays, we’ve updated this classic technique by using polymer plates featuring modern designs and fonts. Now that I’ve figured out what a letterpress is, I set out to master design, typography, and the operation of my vintage 100-year-old machine, lovingly named Delilah.
I won’t bore you with all the gritty details, but let’s just say the learning curve was steep. Over five years, I not only achieved my initial goals but also expanded into designing custom dies, mastering die cutting and foil stamping. My basement studio housed a total of five presses, each weighing a few thousand pounds. Fun fact: I even had to knock a hole in my basement wall to fit in the Heidelberg Windmill press.
On top of all this, I ventured into e-commerce, which was quite new back then. Despite never meeting my customers face-to-face, I managed to build an online store with over 500 five-star reviews, selling my creations to customers all around the globe.
Every job was a labour of love. From the initial conversations with the client creating the printing plates and cutting to the design and finishing, I did it all myself. Please take a minute to view the gallery of my work below.
A lifetime ago
Before you jump to conclusions about my age, consider this: my journey began at 15. Yes, that’s when I photographed my first wedding. It was a chaotic start, but somehow I made an impression on the bride and groom. They spread the word, leading to more opportunities. I pursued photography in college, earning a diploma and delving into commercial and fashion photography. After years of intense effort, burnout hit me hard. I eventually sold all my gear and sought out a more conventional career path. After a brief hiatus from the print world, I reentered photography in 1999, embracing the digital era and pioneering fully digital wedding photography in Toronto. This move ignited my business, and by 2013, before I traded my cameras for a letterpress, I had captured over 1000 weddings. This journey whisked me to distant corners of the globe, where I met a U.S. President and countless other fascinating individuals. Despite initially resisting it, this period likely shaped me the most—it spanned a significant 27 years, after all!
