Art has had such a powerful influence on my life. It’s similar to oxygen for me. I breathe it in to survive, and as I exhale all of the work that I have created is left in my wake. When I’m stressed, overwhelmed, or under the weather, it distracts me and gives me a feeling of lightness. Before I created work for others, I created it for myself and valued putting a soul into the drawings, and I work hard to keep that piece of life within them all. Each piece that I create branches from emotion and connection. I want you to feel the energy and emotion behind my art just as I can feel it from start to finish. You should be chilled to the bone, be able to relate with the subject matter in some form or another, feel the electricity in your hearts, or feel its warmth deep inside of you. I want to have an impact on your lives. Whether it be for years, months, minutes, or seconds, I want to be kin with each of you for even just a moment.

In the past, I didn’t consider how the audience may perceive each piece, but only on how each piece had spoken to me. In the grand scheme of things my work has in a way remained consistent in this idea. There is always some type of deeper meaning or symbolic placeholder. It could be within the smallest details, or you can only see it when you take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Conveying a clear and concise message in a visual form to viewers is a top priority. This way the piece of work is never-ending. No longer is it confined to its picture plane or chosen medium, and it has an endless depth to it.

I create pieces of work for the editorial and publishing illustration markets. I do sometimes feel that my work could fit into the fine arts or studio artist side of things — as I include a lot of figure drawing and representational painting. However, I believe that my approach, which focuses more so on emotion and connection, makes me stand out from other artists in the editorial and publishing illustration fields. Usually, other artists focus on design to convey an idea or purpose. My work is different from others and aims for a different effect and allows me to bring in a fresh perspective and take.

In addition to spot and cover illustrations for editorial and publishing, I’ve also done commission work with clients, as well as painted murals. Most of my pieces revolve around books, tales, myths, legends, or fantasies. I strive to create a balanced mixture of graphic and representational elements in each piece. I do this so I don’t feel so stuck and unmoving from one or the other. My art style and approach have been strongly influenced by Edward Kinsella III, Drew Merritt, and Chris Buzelli. I admire Merritt’s shocking representational work, Kinsella’s graphic element integration, and Buzelli’s approach in publishing and editorial design alike. Those three characteristics are what I strive to master and actively implement in my work. As the days go by, I feel these goals, themes, and influences, improve my work more than ever before. I’m confident in my abilities to achieve, and the strengths that will help me succeed. I plan on doing this for the rest of my life, and I’m honored to have the chance to share it all with the world… to share it with you.