THE STORY OF AN ARTIST

I am an artist and nature photographer from Detroit Michigan. My love for art was passed down to me from my mother and my grandmother, both very talented artists. Drawing and painting since I was able to hold a pencil as a very small child, my mother kept me in constant supply of paper, pencils, and paint from about the age of four and on. That set me on the path to becoming a professional artist. I have degrees in automotive design, architectural design, mass production, metallurgy, english, and law and am certified in various other subjects. Throughout the years I’ve also taken occasional art courses (Fine Art and Color Theory), and several masterclasses. First and foremost I am, always have been, and always will be an illustrator. I’ve worked professionally as a Graphic Artist, Illustrator, Mural Artist, and Automotive Designer. I use a wide variety of mediums and techniques in my artwork, my favorites being India ink, and oil. Sometimes I use multiple mediums within one painting such as thinned watercolor paired with precise black ink lines. Sometimes I create highly detailed art, and sometimes I go with a more imprecise technique. The subjects that I am the most passionate about creating are forests, (my favorite place to be), trees, dogs, faces, and cottages. The first things I ever drew were people, faces, and eyes. For a time, those were the three things I concentrated on. When I was young one of my favorite comic books was Archie. It inspired me to illustrate and write my own full and complete comic books called “Josh and Chaz,” ”The Tiny Princess,” and a superhero themed comic book called “Quadman and Spindle.”

My biggest artistic influences as a growing artist were my mother, my art teachers, my grandmother, and Bob Ross. My talented grandmother was a preacher and during her sermons she would set up an easel, prop her blank canvas on it, and paint a beautiful landscape painting that related to her sermon as she preached. She would give the painting away to someone in the congregation afterwards. I think I must have annoyed my fellow students in art class throughout my life because my art teachers always took me under their wing and would always hang my art on the walls of the classroom, and being painfully shy at the time, I was never comfortable with it. I got my best art education by painting along with Bob Ross. I watched his show for a decade and painted along with him during every single episode. Sometimes I would run out of canvas and paper and when I did I would either flip my completed paintings over and use the blank backside to paint on or I would strip the windows of the linen blinds or roller blinds and use them as canvases, much to the exasperation of my mother. I would recommend that every artist watch episodes of Bob Ross’s show. Have your paints and canvases/paper ready to go!

My favorite artists are; Pierre Auguste Cot - his talent astounds me, John William Waterhouse -one word - phenomenal, Edmund Leighton - one of the greatest Romanticists to have ever lived. Romanticism was an art movement in the 18th and 19th centuries. William Holbrook Beard - his whimsical animal paintings really make me smile, and more current artists; Leonid Afremov - his colorful palette knife paintings always put me in a good mood and always inspire me, Greg Horn - in my opinion, the greatest current illustrator in the comic book arena, Charles Wysocki - his Americana folk style and attention to detail is unsurpassed, Thomas Kinkade - his colorful scenes give me a warm sense of nostalgia, and last but certainly not least, the greatest artist to ever live; Michelangelo - I am stunned into silence by his brilliant work. I am a huge fan of art. I think it’s a downright tragedy to see blank walls with no art. You will never find a blank wall in my house! A perfect afternoon for me is spending time creating art or visiting an art gallery. I’ve spent many a day in the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Chicago Field Museum.



I am very inspired by the beauty of where I live and that is reflected in my work. I am a fan of abstract art and you will find nods to it in many of my works. I have a wide range of subjects, some of which are direct inspirations from where I live. I sometimes create sets of paintings, different but complimentary to each other. Art sets are sadly lacking in the shopping space. My favorite tools are my mechanical pencils and pens, and my Sumi and Rigger brushes. I also love to use unconventional materials like gold leaf, Q-Tips, hair dryers, dry rags, celluloid, homemade stencils, and toothbrushes to name a few. My advice to any budding artist would be practice, practice, practice, and never stop educating yourself. I never stopped creating art and I never put my tools down. I do not believe in boxing yourself into one style or one medium. Why should you? Creativity is limitless. Never purposefully limit it, doing so will do yourself a great disservice.

Although I focus mainly on my art, environmental photography is another one of my passions. I have been snapping pictures of our beautiful world for decades. There is nothing more thrilling than driving in the pitch black to a photo destination and waiting for the sun to rise to capture that perfect image, carefully climbing into abandoned buildings, or perching myself upon the highest point for the ideal snap. I always try to find the natural "art" in the environment because as an artist, that's what I always seek. I hope you enjoy my photos as much as I enjoy taking them.

My artwork and photography have been featured on many websites and businesses and I have garnered multiple awards for my artwork and photography over the years. I am currently a working artist. I also have a licensing agreement with ABC.

“ART IS NEVER FINISHED, ONLY ABANDONED.” - LEONARDO DA VINCI