Dan was born and raised on Northern Vancouver Island. From a young age Dan has been doing pencil sketches of the tugs, small freighters and fishing boats passing his home on Discovery Passage, then experimenting with water colours and oil paints in landscapes and seascapes.

Dan is mostly sef taught and began sketching at a young age and his subjects were primarily tug boats, then experimenting with water colours and oils, since 1998 Dan has been painting with acrylics.