How can I create my own openGL context and bind it to a GLCanvas?

Question

So when I got to grips with the java

paint(Graphics g){}

method I moved on to creating my own render methods but I had to learn about buffer strategies and how to 'get' Graphics

So now I am learning openGL, I have got to grips with the method:

@Override
public void display(GLAutoDrawable arg0){}

and now I would like to create my own render methods, so far I have constantly run up against one exception:

Exception in thread "main" javax.media.opengl.GLException: No OpenGL context current on this thread

EDIT: Question: If I want to make glDraw calls outside of the

@Override
public void display(GLAutoDrawable arg0){}

method, how do I ensure the glContext of my GLCanvas is "current"

Preferably as a code example, as I Have looked through the api's and used google extensivly, many links you guys have already been so kind as to put here I have already found before and I am still drawing a blank... literally! Closest I've got was when it didn't throw a "no current context" exception but the screen just went black permenantly!