Jason grew-up in a working class family in Sault Ste Marie, a small city located in Northern Ontario. His interest in art stared at an early age and by the time he started high-school, he knew that he wanted to be a professional artist. He began selling his paintings and drawings and accepting commissions at the age of 16.
After high-school, Jason studied art at Sheridan College and Windsor University; however, at this point he lacked discipline, direction and financial backing and he did not finish either of his programs. He continued to paint, on a limited basis, but, he did not have the focus or business skills that he needed to be a full time professional artist. By the time he was in his early twenties, he began to lose interest in painting.
In the late 90’s Jason moved to Victoria B.C. with his future wife, Cathy. It was there that he was inspired by the fantastic work of the West Coast stone sculptors. He soon tried his hand at the ancient art form. He quickly became enamoured by the medium and his love of art was rekindled. However, his journey towards becoming a full time professional artist was just beginning. He had to work in a succession of low-paying dead-end jobs to pay the bills and help support his growing family, while he worked on his carving in his spare time.
In 2001 Jason and Cathy moved back to Northern Ontario with their infant son Jordan. They wanted to be closer to their families. Jason began working as the resident sculptor for the Thunder Bay Agate Mine. He carved a series of wildlife sculptures including one that was billed as “the largest agate sculpture in the world”. However, less than a year later, the agate mine went out of business.
Jason started working in the forestry industry in 2001. He would labor in the Great North Woods for seven long years. His wife, Cathy began working as a nurse at the Thunder Bay regional Hospital. In 2004 their second son, Troy, was born. During this time Jason carved in the off-season, but, his artistic output was minimal.
However, in 2008 Jason decided that the time was right to leave his “day job” behind him and he began to carve on a more regular basis. Maintaining a studio, tools and stone supply while at the same time contributing money for household expenses has been a challenge, but, he would never look back.
Jason’s stone sculptures and bowls can now be found in private collections around the world, including many parts of Can