1972: Patrick John Mills was born on November 4th in Saint Jerome, Quebec. He was the third child (two older sisters) of an John Henry Mills (Engineer) and his wife June Violo Mills (legal secretary).

1975: Family moves out West to British Columbia and settles in Tsawwassen. Patrick spends his childhood and school years there.

Twice in my life I have had to deal with a close family member's mental illness (when I was 9 and 25 years of age); this has had a tremendous impact on my life.

1983: Father looses his job (recession). Parents separate. Few months later father moves back to Montreal to return to his pervious employment.

1984: Patrick attends an all boys private catholic school. Spends summers with father in Montreal.

1991: Graduates from Vancouver College.

1991: Patrick goes to Montreal to study at Concordia University (Engineering) for two years.

1993: In Spring Tara Bisset (friend in residence) introduces Patrick to painting and lends him her paintings and takes him to the Fine Arts building. Instantly Patrick loves painting. Patrick hides paintings from father in fear of his response.

1993: July 13th father dies of a heart attack. Stops painting for two months. Decides to go return to Concordia in September to continue University in Child Psychology. Resumes painting and writing poetry.

- For about a year I had great difficulty sleeping. My dreams were very intense.... I felt it was best to put my mattress on the floor for it was not uncommon to wake up in the middle of the room. I would spend many late nights painting.

1994: Patrick works three jobs, full time student, painting a lot, starting up a small company called 'No Job... too Small'. Burn out... get mono. And flies back to Vancouver to be taken care by his mother. Recoveries and flies back to Montreal for summer job at Lac Marois Country Club. Sleeps in the bush in a tent behind City Hall for two weeks. A family called the Weigans (old friends of father) give Patrick a place to live for a month then moves back to his father and step mother's property for the rest of the summer.

1994: Submits 26-28 poems for contests in a two month period. Gets published in 13 books and receives several poetry awards. Stops submitting poems.

1994: Meets Erika Vaillancourt.

1995 - 96: Takes a one year painting and a drawing class at Concordia University.

1996: Travel to New Mexico to spend time with his sister Kathy for a summer. Has to leave due to intense stomach problems.

1997: Completes degree and moves back to Vancouver to be with family. Gets a government job working with autistic adults. Lives with mother for two months. Things are not going well... decides to move out and live with sister Wendy and her two children (Tyler and Dylan). Leaves job after four months and lives off of painting sales.

1997: Gallery in Montreal goes bankrupt. Goes to Germany with Erika to see Maria and Sieghard Gera (patrons). Erika returns to Vancouver to live with Patrick and sister's family for the summer.

1997: Erika goes to London to do her Master at Laban.

1998: Sister Wendy asks Patrick to move out. Very good friend Mark Sherritt helps Patrick move to live in a communal live workspace on skid row (later finds out that he is living with three heroin addicts and a guy dying with aids). Murray Reichmuth (art agent) of Homer Arts Gallery starts showing Patrick's work. His sister Kathy finds him a job working construction. Several months later Patrick sells 14 paintings in three days and moves to London to be with Erika.

1998: Walks into a hair salon in Covent Garden and asks owner Greg Konard if he could take a look at his paintings. Next day Greg Konard visits Patrick's home and purchases several paintings. Greg shows portfolio to Nick Serota (Director of the Tate Modern), and paintings to Jenny Stein (past director of Whitechapel), their comments are positive... in the next 3 1/2 months Patrick sells 38 works and has enough money to pay for wedding and furnish home.

1999: January 15th. Patrick and Erika get married.

2000: Marco Martins sponsors Patrick for a year (pays a years studio space and gives him £1500 towards materials).

2001: Patrick has a successful London exhibition on the King's Road and is able to purchase a property in East London. Peggy Gibson from Modern Artists Gallery starts showing Patrick's paintings. Peggy is extremely encouraging and Patrick starts focusing on writing poetry again.

2001: Studio complex is up for redevelopment. Patrick starts painting outside in his backyard (continues to paint outside for 23 months). Art sales are very few during this period.

2002: Patrick submits a few poems again. Is published in three more books and is awarded International Poet of Merit Award (Silver Award) from the International Society of Poets in Washington DC and is also awarded a Bronze Medallion for another contest.

2003 - present: Augus Ritchie (Saint Martin's Vicor) provides free studio space in exchange for paintings. A small painting is premanently on display in Canning Town Parish Church, and a large painting is premanently on display in Saint Mary's Parish Church in Plaistow. (read more... click here)

2003: Erika gave birth to our first child Isabelle Chantal Mills September 1st.

2004: Decided to sell our property in London and move back to Canada. Wanted Isabelle to be close to Erika's family.

2005: Purchased a propterty in Ottawa. The studio / work space does not have natural light. So Patrick starts painting outside.

2007: Renovations. Renovations, and more renovations (click here for more information). Purchase another property. Paints the Parade #5 series.

2008: Opens Patrick John Mills Contemporary Fine Art Gallery. Purchases a crack house (click here for more information).

2009: Plans to extend the gallery to include a sculpture garden.

thank you.

Patrick