Andy has been interviewed on CH Television GO Magazine in February of 2003, as well as Oak Bay

Newspaper, CFUV, CKMO Radio Stations and an article about his series on Canadian Folk art

this editorial is posted - http://www.preview-art.com


During his transformative years Gifford was a farmer in central Tennessee and learned about living and

working around animals. Later, he traveled to Northern Ontario looking for inspiration and worked doing drawings of

the environment around him. I asked Andy if he had seen bears and other wildlife in Northern Ontario and explained to

me, I took a four day train trip all the way up to Moosonee, a hair's breadth from what is now known as Nunavut. This

trip as he explains to me is called "The Polar Bear Express". Along the way he picked up information about life in the

North and how lives intersect with the migrating bears he came across all which formed icons in his head for creating

the environment which he places on his canvases.


I asked Andy during our interview about some of the volunteer activities that he has participated in and if he thought artists

should be change agents and volunteer their artwork and time to worthy causes. Some of the auctions that Andy has participated in

are: Habitat for Humanity, Restoration of St. Annes. Andy does not participate in auctions any longer due to the frequency of this request and will

not respond to queries referring to donations to charities, auctions, art events etc...please ask a CEO of your local

corporation to donate their time and money to your cause, not artists!


Andy participates in the Moss Street Paint In annually at Canada's Largest artwalk between 20 and 30, 000 visitors for

the afternoon in Mid July line the street of Moss Street in Victoria BC, over 100 artists of different disciplines

demonstrate. Andy has previously created multi-media series includes: drawings and photos and encaustic wax

constructions based on temples in Java, Indonesia - Andy has been the winner of the annual bursary for the two week

workshop at MISSA, Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts in Metchosin, BC.