Expanded Draft (first-person, refined):

I started painting at nine years old, and even then I knew that art was the one place where everything made sense. School wasn’t an easy environment for me. I struggled with dyslexia, learning difficulties, frontal-lobe epilepsy, sleep disorders, night terrors, vertigo, and constant headaches. I often felt over-medicated and misunderstood, but art was the one thing that came naturally. Painting and drawing were clear, structured, and full of possibility. They gave me a voice long before I learned how to explain myself.

I didn’t attend specialised art schools or formal institutions. In the early days, I entered exhibitions and competitions, hoping to find my place, and was often told outright that I wasn’t an artist. That could have stopped me, but it didn’t. My determination came from somewhere deeper, and I was fortunate to have support from the people who mattered. My parents encouraged me, my friends stood behind me, and every new client I met eventually became a friend. Those connections carried me forward more than any title or certificate ever could.

As my confidence grew, so did my appetite for challenges. I never wanted simple trophies or easy wins. Every direction I walked in offered a hard road, but each path held its own kind of reward. The special events industry introduced me to large-scale backdrops and props. Murals pushed me to think bigger, experiment more, and trust my instincts. Airbrushing took me into the world of cars and motorcycles, where I was fortunate enough to win awards and, more importantly, meet people who shaped my journey. Speed painting became another evolution complex, exhausting, and exhilarating. Designing and performing these shows has been one of the most demanding parts of my career, but also one of the most fulfilling.

I’ve always climbed one ladder just to discover another waiting in the distance. That pattern has defined my life: constant growth, constant reinvention. And despite the difficulties, I’ve always found positive people along the way family, friends, clients, collaborators each one contributing to the direction I took next.

Moving to Ireland gave me a fresh start and a new perspective. I lost touch with many people from earlier chapters of my life, and my friendship circles became smaller than they had ever been. But it also opened the door to a new chapter, one that allowed me to rebuild, re-evaluate, and refocus on what I want to create. I’m grateful for that opportunity.

Today, my work spans fine art, murals, airbrushing, and live performance. After more than 20 countries, countless projects, and decades of experimentation, I’m still evolving. My aim is simple: keep improving, keep exploring, and keep creating work that moves people. Art has always been my anchor, my challenge, and my direction and I’m committed to following it wherever it leads next.