Artist Statement

 In my work I aim to bring more of a light hearted and sometimes comical feel to more intense situations.  Currently I am working on larger ink and watercolor projects that expand on a world that I piece together by including myself in the midst of the mayhem. Comic books and cartoons influence my work.  By dropping my character into the mix it encourages viewers to think about how we have seen and related to some of these characters at different points in life so far.  I want people to recognize and make connections with elements of the pieces that jump out at them.  Most of my work is very figurative and contain numerous characters from various franchises as well as my own creations.

I also concentrate heavily on the classic Marvel legends such as Captain America and often delve into the Star Wars universe.  Having been educated in the world of sci-fi, all the characters throughout these films provide me with information and ideas that I remember and then attempt to free hand draw and paint.  Drawing from memory is challenging and a lot of my characters, including some of the iconic figures such as Pop-eye and Frankenstein have my own take on them.  Lately I have been adding myself into my work in place of major characters in franchises.  This allows me to become the bridge to my cartoon universe.  My favorite drawing tool is a standard ballpoint pen and I often try and bring these characters to life in both oil and acrylic in addition to mixed media projects. The scale of my paintings has increased over the last year.  When drawing these large action still shots I can put my own twist on the scene and make it seem fluid and action packed.  In the future I am planning on writing and illustrating children’s books and ultimately comic books and graphic novels.