meet the artist
What started as a love for photography…
I fell in love with creating art at the age of nine, after my father gifted me my very first camera. That was truly the inception of my creative journey.
As a homegrown Californian, I felt an innate desire to photograph surfing and began following along and capturing the action of the sport. During this time of creative exploration I connected with Richard Messeroll, my mentor and photo editor at Eastern Surfing Magazine.
Richard empowered my vision for capturing quality shots of the sport. Allowing me to cultivate meaningful relationships among local surfers, and get published in magazines, surf rags, newspapers, and journals throughout my college education.
… transformed into a deeply-rooted devotion to painting.
My vetted experience in the arts began in 1997 when I enrolled as a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design - I concentrated my efforts to build more technical experience as a photographer. But I quickly developed a deeply-rooted passion for painting. This newfound interest lead to my graduation in 2000 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photographer with minors in both Art History and Painting.
After graduation, I found myself back in the southern California community where I’ve continued to work in the photo / film industry. And of course - I still occasionally find myself back on the beach - taking surf shots and refueling my passion for capturing the sport that got me started on this creative journey.
The initial draw I felt toward painting was the freedom of creativity…
A friend was renovating an old apartment building and gifted me the old doors.
Feeling up to a creative challenge, I produced my first series abstract, graphic, architectural style paintings that end up selling to a private collector.
Elated by the outcome of that experience I decided to explore my curiosity and pursue more projects through this medium.
I jumped straight into painting on canvas, but struggled to hone the same kind of inspiration that initially led me to paint. I wanted to expand my strategy and take an approach that felt a little more exciting.
For two years I barely touched a paintbrush. Instead, I opted to create my art with….. literally anything else.
From used cardboard, to rocks, and sponges… even a turkey baster at one point - has been used to create abstract paintings. I loved the idea of pushing the boundaries of what it means to create art - and what It takes to make it.
…inspired my life long journey of creating art that encompasses passion, energy, and movement.
In early 2010, I had another boundary pushing idea for painting. I wanted to recreate my paintings by airbrushing them on my most adventurous canvas yet…. people.
It took plenty of trial and error in order to match colors, but ultimately this project led to the creation of my Press Art series.
I found myself once again without a paintbrush in hand. Instead of cardboard or a turkey baster, I used bodies pressed to canvas.
Including other humans in my creative process brought along a more intentional approach. From exploring skin-safe paint brands and ingredients , to experimenting with different canvas sizes, and refining my skills at mixing color.
After much trial and error, I finally discovered a strategy and design style that spoke to my creative niche and have continued to explore new techniques and push the boundaries of what we perceive as art.