I was lucky enough to have grown up in two different places: Arizona and Missouri. I can assure you that while Arizona may as well be the portal to Hell, it is certainly much more interesting than Missouri. My schooling was spent here while summers were spent with my family back in the Midwest. A family which, I feel the need to express, consisted of psychopaths. But to be perfectly honest, that’s what a small town in Missouri does to people. It’s a boring place.
Generally speaking, my life had been pretty exciting and I am no stranger to putting my life on the line for the sake of a double-dare. My uncle is a pyrotechnic so having high-quality fireworks explode in the backyard of the farm at 3am was a usual experience. Then there was also train-jumping, four-wheel (sometimes quads, sometimes barrels) races on homemade tracks, cliff diving, and the occasional fight with vicious farm animals. It was always a shock that I would come home in one piece.
Generally speaking, my life had been pretty exciting and I am no stranger to putting my life on the line for the sake of a double-dare. My uncle is a pyrotechnic so having high-quality fireworks explode in the backyard of the farm at 3am was a usual experience. Then there was also train-jumping, four-wheel (sometimes quads, sometimes barrels) races on homemade tracks, cliff diving, and the occasional fight with vicious farm animals. It was always a shock that I would come home in one piece.
Who am I?
Artistic InfluenceBack in Arizona, things were much less dangerous, but never less exciting. My father was a member of the Hell’s Angels (a motorcycle club), from long before my birth. All my life, I had grown around rough-and-tough bikers with tattoos, cussing, strippers and motorcycles. My mother offered a different perspective on life—one much more calming. While my dad took me to car shows and clubhouse gatherings, my mother took me to operas and ballet recitals.
My art tends to be very "everywhere." I use mostly mixed-media outlets on canvas, as well as acrylic painting, but have dabbled in charcoal, watercolor, photography, digital media, and a few others. Since I was young, my experiences were always changing and my art oftentimes reflects that. |
Cultural InfuenceI would be lying if I said my cultural influence came from one culture and one only. From a young age I have been heavily influenced by comics and gaming. My mother had Wonder Woman comics from her childhood that were passed down to me, and it formed a great respect for the art of graphic novels and storytelling. The colors and outrageous adventures had always been important and impactful to me.
Aside from modern Western pop-culture, I always had an enjoyment of oriental-styled works. Sumi paintings and Ukiyo-e prints were always something I thought beautiful. That being said, while The Great Wave off Kanagawa is my all-time favorite piece, my favorite artist is Jacques-Louis David, a Neoclassical French artist. In truth, not one single culture hasn't impacted my artistic style; they all have. Depending on my medium, one may be more prominent. |