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Biography | |||||||||||||||||
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I was born on September the 9th, 1940, in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. The circumstances of my birth were somewhat unusual. With a normal birth the doctor will say, "It's a boy." When I was born the doctor said, "It's a King." I have lived in Chilliwack, B.C. Canada since the flood. Not Noah's flood - the flood of 1948. My childhood was filled with team sports, sneaking into movies and getting beat up by my older brother. I attended Chilliwack Senior High School. I graduated in 1958, in 1959 and finally in 1960 with, among other things, a Major in Art. My artwork at the time was so full of violent imagery that my teacher would have someone else look at it when it came time for evaluation. His assistants must have enjoyed impalings and decapitations because I was always top of the class. I went to the University of British Columbia. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Psychology in 1967, which made it possible for Canada to celebrate two remarkable events in one year - its Centennial and my university graduation. During this period, I completed some pre-architectural and Art Design courses. Occasionally, I was on the Dean's list. Though I was not an Art Major I was often asked to display my work on campus. In 1969, I completed a Master's Degree in School Administration and graduated at the top of my class. Not bad for a dyslexic who was considered retarded in first grade. With all that wonderful education I went back to my Alma Mater as a teacher. When the faculty of Chilliwack Senior High heard I was returning as a teacher, they booed. Strangely enough, the following year I was voted the most popular teacher. My years as an art teacher were very productive. I ran my class like an open studio; once my students were set up and working on their projects I took up my brush and worked right along with them. At the end of class we would compare masterpieces. The desire to be a true Renaissance man led me to get involved in professional wrestling. All my humbleness was completely destroyed in the ring. I was known as the Magnificent Mennonite - Canada's Handsomest Athlete. I had a body that men feared and women desired. My parents always told that mennonites were pacifists. True to my upbringing I would pass a fist wherever it was needed to defeat my opponents. Like many men who get involved in the Martial Arts I eventually got work as an enforcer. I was hired as a Vice Principal. Students quickly learned that in the jungle little monkeys don't mess with big gorillas. I was friendly, but firm. In my fortieth year I realized I had three bad habits: smoking cigars, drinking coffee and teaching school. I decided to give them all up and develop property. Ironically, my first attempt as a developer led me to develop my current body of artwork. I decided that every room in the motel I was going to build should display two original paintings. I created some 60 watercolours, which were eventually displayed along with several mosaics and a thousand pound carving of a Unicorn at my nightclub "The Blue Unicorn". The Cabaret business allowed me to leave teaching and eventually the Cabaret business. My investments have allowed me to become the patron of my favourite painter of contemporary oils - me. I currently live on a genteel estate on the Hope River with my wife of 40 years. I built the house on riverfront acreage to showcase my work and sense of design. It also contains the Art Gallery which is home the Harms permanent collection. I like to think of it as "The Harmitage". I have also shown my work in New York City, Los Angeles, Palm Beach, Chicago, Tokyo, Japan, London, England, Paris, France, Lima, Peru and Vancouver, British Columbia. I divide my time between painting masterpieces, making brilliant business deals and mastering tennis. Sometimes I will drive my Rolls to the airport and visit the world beyond my mountains. I show my work to gallery owners around the world, but they have no idea how to deal with royalty. One dealer said he was sure that if he looked in the dictionary he'd find my portrait beside the word arrogance. Well, in the story of your life, isn't image everything?
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