I’m well known for my love of Coca-Cola. In fact, it has become something of a ‘legend’. Most don’t realize it was intentional from the start. As I began my professional art career, I felt I needed something as a hook to make my name memorable. I decided to associate my identity with one of the most recognizable brands in the world. There was no formal agreement or endorsement; I was and still am too small for that. Instead, I made a purposeful decision to always have a Coke handy as I did media interviews or meetings in my studio. I often wore Coke T-shirts, hats and sneakers. I purchased an antique Coke machine and kept it well stocked. Rather than purchase my Coca-Cola from the local store, I had the giant Coke truck deliver to my studio. They didn’t come often, but folks took notice without a doubt. I also began to collect Coke paraphernalia, which was available everywhere I travelled. As I began travelling across Canada and the USA to paint historical murals, I asked that, as part of my contract, they supply a cooler of ice-cold Cokes for my enjoyment. I made a point of sharing them with all who visited the mural projects. On occasion, my clients would contract a local Coca-Cola bottler who would help sponsor the murals and also happily provide a ton of unique swag for my collection. It wasn’t long before my clients would send me packages from all over the world where they travelled. Each time they saw an unusual Coke bottle or display, they would think of me… and so my collection and the ‘legend’ would grow. When we moved to Yarrow and built our new studio, my Coca-Cola collection numbered more than 1,500 pieces of memorabilia. There was much more than I could display. As we began to build samples and put them on display, I would tuck away a little more Coca-Cola items. Eventually, I decided to sell off the collection (to a very happy collector) and only keep a few items of special sentimental value. Amazingly, my plan had worked beyond belief, and my Coca-Cola 'legend' persists to this day.