I grew up in the cities of Gaborone, Botswana and Lusaka, Zambia until the age of 10. My junior high and high school years were spent in Ottawa. I attended the Canterbury Arts program for high school from 1992 to 1997. During these years I worked with a friend Matt Cameron designing and producing silkscreen t-shirts that we sold at various punk shops around Ottawa. I also started binding journals using recycled paper and metal wire that I sold at environmental shops in Ottawa and Toronto.

After high school I took a year off to do art. I showed a series of drawings at the Green Door Vegetarian Restaurant in Ottawa, and collaborated with Jude Farmer on a piece for a group show at Karsh-Mason Gallery at Ottawa City Hall. I was also a part of the one-time Abidea group art exhibition.

Between 1998 and 2003 I completed my undergraduate at University of Waterloo in Environmental Studies with a minor in fine art. During my undergraduate I took a year off to work with the KOR Gallery & Studio project in downtown Kitchener. I worked as an illustrator for Alternatives Journal, a national environmental magazine published at the University of Waterloo.

In 2004 I participated in the Venture Creation Program, and started a freelance business (www.vanmf.com) as a graphic designer and website programmer.

In 2005-2006 I spent 5 months with my partner Sarah in the town of Ugunja in Western Kenya volunteering with the local grassroots Ugunja Community Resource Centre. We continue a partnership with UCRC through our local Friends of Ugunja Canada group and the Working Centre.

In 2007 I assisted Sarah with the website for her Iron Horse Trail Stories project.

In 2008 we opened our house up for the Central Art Walk, where I showed some of my paintings and drawings. I also contributed two paintings to a small group show called Death Comes to a Birthday Party.

I had gone for years without a camera, using other people's here and there. I finally caved and bought one, despite the planned obsolescence and subsequent toxic e-waste of today's electronics. My eye loves finding beauty, especially unexpected beauty.