Born and raised in North Vancouver, B.C., Clancy Gibson's first job while going to school was working for his uncle James Bissett, a boat builder on the North Shore.
After graduation a few more "character building" jobs ensued. Before enrolling in the Vancouver School of Art, he worked as a roofer, laboured in a shipyard and then as a draughtsman.
Two of Mr. Gibson's mentors were Paul Kuzma, a classmate of Andy Warhol at Carnegie Tech., and Errol Etienne a senior academician of the Royal Canadian Academy.
Not unlike many Canadian painters, Mr. Gibson spent the majority of his creative and working years as a commercial illustrator.