3x3 feet oil on Panel,
This was a commission for a fellow art student... I kinda dig it... shhhh.. she hasn't seen it yet!

                  

Consequence 2 oil on panel 4x3 feet

Consequences 3 oil on panel 4x3 feet

Passion and Pain oil on panel 4x4 feet

Just Taking a moment to explain what my work means to me!

I paint people.  I have spent my life obsessed with the figure and what the figure says about humanity.  From the thoughts of our minds to the appearance of our many faces, I am constantly intrigued by humanity.  When I look at people I see the layers of their flesh separate into layers of paint; the reflection in their eye becomes a battle for which white is whitest, and I imagine the deep layers that would create the under painting.   The aesthetic style that unfolds in one of my portraits is a result of everything I’ve learned prior and the moments of chance that I learn from.  I find that when I allow myself to disappear in the moment, the freedom from all unnecessary mental tangents allows for each piece to take form in the most honest way.  I often feel my thoughts are accompanied by a certain amount of shame.  When I choose to paint pieces that have an allegorical relevance to me, whether or not this is apparent to the viewer, I tend to free myself from the correlated shame I would otherwise feel when expressing something vulnerable.

I have always found a therapeutic state of mind through the process of painting.  The final products are simply the destination, while for me the most relevant moments occur during the process.  My work evolves into a final product through a series of therapeutic brush strokes.  In my most recent series I have used the process of painting to organize my mind and focus on who I truly am.

When I look for subjects to paint, I normally look for an honest beauty that effortlessly escapes.   Willie Nelson once wrote, “Don’t confuse caring for weakness, you can’t put that label on me, the truth is my weapon of mass protection and I believe truth sets you free.”   I search for truth and honesty in my paintings, and for me raw honesty is what makes me feel free.  I seek to keep the integrity of my subjects in tact while hoping to convey the vulnerabilities that seem to exist in all people.  My intention for my future work is to simply move forward with the same momentum in which I’ve progressed; always searching for new ways to depict the human form and always allowing each painting to become its own individual piece.

My Garden of Wonderland, a journey of self discovery

I originally began my senior thesis with the intention of creating a series of psychological portraits in which I interviewed my subjects.  In the attempt to get to know a variety of individuals for who they truly are, I was pushed in a direction of better understanding myself.  Leonardo Da Vinci once wrote “The acquisition of any knowledge whatever is always useful to the intellect, for nothing can be either loved or hated until it is first known.”  I believe in this statement, which led me to realize that without understanding myself, I couldn’t truly understand others.

 I have redirected my series into a journey of self-discovery through the process of painting.  The final pieces are simply the destination, while for me the most relevant moments occurred during the process.  I have always looked to painting as a form of therapy.  In the past my work has evolved into a final product through a series of therapeutic brush strokes.  In this series I have used the process of painting to slow down my mind and take the time to focus on who I truly am and to organize the chaos that lives in my mind. 

Through this journey I have learned how my relationships with others affect both myself and whoever else is involved.  I have learned how I love, and most importantly that whether I am at fault or where I err, these are undeniable parts of who I am and how my character is portrayed.  I have learned to accept and own my thoughts, and that where in the past I have attempted to change myself, I am now working towards changing myself back.  I am not perfect and my paintings are no different, this is who I am and what I do.

'Alice'

'Caterpillar'

'The Hare'

'White Rabbit' 

One of the pieces for my Thesis, still in progress, but close to finished...
The 2 below are also both part of the series... all are 4x3 feet oil on panel.. enjoy!!

The pieces in progress in my studio, almost done!!!!

Senior Thesis exhibition is coming up... have 3 more to finish.. this isn't yet done however, my artistic journey of self discovery is proving to be a good one.  Painting myself has always been a scary thing to think about, but I'm starting to like it a little too much... This is a close up of one of them, and a few more to come!