“Long distance cycling trips have taught me that there is no such thing as a free downhill. As a society we are coasting on the wheels of cheap and abundant energy. If the true costs of energy were calculated into its price, everyone would be using renewable energy sources such as Bullfrog Power.”

A renowned painter whose works have been represented in art galleries across North America, Christopher Griffin has been working as a full-time artist since 1990. The Canadiana Fund, which selects artwork for placement in Government of Canada official residences, has chosen five of Griffin’s works for its collection. Griffin is also the founder of Art on Ice, Canada's only outdoor art exhibition on Ottawa's Rideau Canal during the city’s annual Winterlude celebrations.

Having traveled extensively through Honduras, Guatemala, Irian Jaya, Indonesia and Laos, Christopher Griffin brings a culturally and environmentally sensitive perspective to his life and his work. Never one to shy away from tackling high-profile and controversial environmental issues in his paintings, Griffin has portrayed a destructive proposed hydro dam on the Mamberamo River in Indonesia, as well as numerous important local issues such as the thousands of dead birds washed up on the shores of Lake Erie.

Christopher, his wife, Oresta, and daughter Kalyna live upstairs in a converted corner store in Ottawa, the main floor taken up by Christopher's Art Studio and Oresta's Aesthetic Studio. Their commute time to work and back has been clocked in under seven seconds.

For more information about Christopher Griffin’s Art Studio, visit www.christophergriffin.ca.