Art creation is an organic process for me, where inspiration takes the lead and my hands merely follow. The traditional media in my repertoire includes pen, colored pencil, and acrylic paint. I am also fond of using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. I explore the juxtaposition of traditional and digital mediums within my art because this combination is a versatile method of self-expression. I blend realism and surrealism to represent the beauty and strangeness of my subjects. I find inspiration in majestic natural wonders and in small, delicate objects such as wildflowers.
My photography often consists of carefully-constructed floral studies or chance encounters with found objects and scenes that I find interesting. In one instance a dried iris petal blew across my feet as I was about to enter my home. I picked it up and delighted in how that one solitary petal had beautiful hues of purple, blue, and slight touches of green. The flowers became several photos, including Shard of Violet Plotted on a Blue Grid.
I like to deconstruct botanical subjects and study their lovely textures and colors. They are real subjects presented in the abstracted style of a painting.The flowers I portray typically are wilted and blemished, addressing how reality can be more beautiful than perfection-centered constructs of beauty.
Through my love of photography, I also capture the natural beauty of Arizona, as well as other destinations from my adventures. I grew up in the country in Texas and now live in Flagstaff,. I had the amazing privilege of having so much exposure to the natural world. Ever since I had the motor skills to pick up a pencil, I was creating art.
I enjoy making people laugh through my cartoons. They address a wide variety of serious social topics offset by levity. My political cartoons create different reactions due to the complex relationships of major events, belief, and ideology. These cartoons do not always reflect my personal views, but I mischievously and unapologetically seize creative and comedic opportunities. When there is a way to make sarcasm productive, I take full advantage of it. For the sake of fairness, I do not confine the cartoons to only one end of the political spectrum. What my cartoons share in common with my other artworks is an underlying goal to elicit a response from the viewer and possibly encourage one to think about the world in a different way.
My personal experiences and elements of daily life also influence my work. Rather than simply dwell within my comfort zone, I approach each new piece as if my previous pieces never existed. Curiosity compels me to explore the blank page’s infinite possibilities through new mediums and techniques. I believe in emphasizing quality over quantity.
Say What explores the relationships between words and meaning and the absurd attempts that some people may employ to disguise the truth by mendacity. It is a mixed media work where I combined ink pen and digital media. I love the tactile feeling of pen.
I like to celebrate the beauty that exists in unexpected places and life’s myriad of intricacies fascinate me. I think the world is a beautiful place, but it is delightful to add a little more beauty to it with my creative works.
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