Dene Croft
		As a child in New Zealand, Dene loved art and even though he was self-taught, his drawings reflected skill and maturity far beyond his years. Art was a hobby, which Dene hadn’t considered turning into a career. Instead, he became a chef, specializing in Haute cuisine and opened his own restaurant, in Auckland. After some years of operation he realized that this was not his life’s calling, sold the restaurant and traveled extensively through Europe and also Southeast Asia, where he immersed himself in exploring primitive cultures. In 1991 he moved to Canada, making his home Vancouver. By 1996 he realized that his lifetime commitment was to art. He took the plunge and began his first venture into the medium of oil. His large canvases reflect an original style Dene calls “quirky realism? “I have always been interested in Art Deco period and my style, at times, reflect an element of that. My focus is on composition, color and setting mood. Remove those three elements and there’s not really a lot left to appreciate. I see myself moving from realism into something more stylized in the near future, but continuing with the same theme.