Help My Artist Son Succeed at UBC!

This is my son, River.

He's 18 years old and is already an award-winning portrait artist.

In 2023, his work won him a prestigious award in the Mayor's Teen Art Show in Eugene, Oregon. It was the first time he'd ever exhibited his artwork. Another piece in the same show sold for several hundred dollars.

In the two years since, he's refined his techniques and become an even more impressive artist. He focuses on portraiture, using found images and turning them into masterpieces.

His preferred mediums are physical - paint, ink, even crayons! A lot of his work contains a mix, and his "canvases" are frequently scavenged pieces of wood.

He's also a very skilled digital artist, working with an iPad Pro and an Apple Pencil to create works like the self-portrait in the cover.

One thing I deeply admire about my son is the way he's turned adversity into determination. He has a number of long-term health problems, including epilepsy, but he hasn't let them slow him down. He worked hard, he applied to the universities he wanted to attend, and he got accepted into the one he wanted most, the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC!

Now we need to get him there.

Moving to a university is always hard, but River has some extra difficulties that don't apply to most students. His medical issues require regular medication, and until he is eligible for British Columbia's health care plan, he will likely need to pay for at least some of it out-of-pocket.

And being an international student is significantly more expensive, both in fees and in tuition. River will have his work cut out for him to defray the costs, as will his parents.

Please consider donating. Every dollar we receive will go directly into a Canadian bank account for my son, making it easier for him to get the education - and the life - he has worked so hard for. He will spend the funds on living expenses, university tuition, and fees.

And because he's an artist, he'd like to make the following offers:

If you make a donation for a painting, I will reach out to you to so we can share details such as which photo to use and shipping if you'd like a physical portrait.

Please help make my son's dream a reality!