High School

This is my "art" history starting in high school.
In high school as a freshman I took art class initially intending to take it all four years. I was young for my grade starting the year with my 14th birthday. This piece was a form of self portrait. The blue circle was an attempt to recreate a yarn fuzz ball my friend and I were currently making to decorate our things. I had wanted it to look as if there was a hole in my hand and spiders were coming out. I'm not entirely sure if this is gouache acrylic or watercolor. Estimated date of creation 1996.
Graphite on printer paper 1997. I remember purposefully drawing Sailor Moon larger than the picture reference. It was important to me to show that I had drawn the proportions myself without copying. There is a real hesitance to the strength of application. The lines are particularly delicate and lack confidence. There are a number of area's where the proportions are incorrect however I was able to obtain a reasonable replication that maintains the characters integrity.
These are some of my first ever creature doodles initiating in high school. I still draw the turtle when signing a note from time to time. The turtles name is Tork. I believe the dinosaur is Splunkie.  These are but shades of what my creatures would one day become.

Transitions:

I went into the military in 2002. These drawings are mostly from 2003-2004 during and after my time in Iraq. I was 20-21. During this time I drew to relax and daydream. I ended up getting the leaf girl tattooed on my back therapeutically to symbolize that the war time is part of me but is behind me.

Post Theater

After the military I spent my gi bill going back to college. I got my AA in University studies from Lassen Community College in Susanville California. I began to paint with more purpose and intention but the bulk was still primarily associated with recreation, impulsive responses to historical art works and emotional therapy. It is also the first time I really took paint or color seriously. I choose Acrylic over Oil after experiencing them both. I don't like how long it takes oils to dry. I've never taken a color theory class. Can you tell?

College or Calling?

The time period in question places me at the University circa 2007 making me about 25. Northwest Nazarene University to be precise. I majored in 2 Dimensional art with a minor in Photography. I have a BA and graduated Magna Cum Laude. I took some really wonderful classes and made fabulous things. I remember a particularly successful installation I did that caused commotion among the management, a hand made children's book utilizing alternative photograph principles, a huge High school Logo Mural that landed me on the cover of the Press Tribune, and some really fun photography. I could do a five day thing just on photography though my life, but since these enjoyable side ventures aren't as key to my growth as a traditional artist I will have to leave them to your imagination for now smile emoticon My teachers believed my drawings to be more successful than my paintings and encouraged me to explore them further. I was introduced to Francisco De Goya's "Disasters of War" series and found I could harness emotional content inherent in his work and present them in a way that allowed me to communicate my experiences. I find in Goya a kindred spirit. Though the works were successful it was incredibly draining to make them. I wanted to spend some time back where drawing was pleasurable. This (and a final project in figure studies) lead me to my portrait work. My Senior show consisted entirely of charcoal and graphite portraiture. "High art" requires specialization. I never took well to being confined artistically and I get bored making things too repetitiously, but one must attempt such things to learn if it is one's calling or not.
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Click to visit my portrait gallery!

Moving Ahead

I still make portraits but considerably less often. My disabilities from my military service have become problematic for sustained work ethics. Even if quantity is reduced I feel I've at least maintained quality. Having spent the last few days analyzing my progress I see the development. My focal disintegration has given me reason to return to my former love. This time finding much more encouragement (and kindred souls) for the unique and strange things that appear to me in the patters. Being once again rewarded personally for the continued interaction with creativity. My newest work is currently being shown at The Ozone Fine Art, in Newport. Late in march I get to join some fabulous artists for a little mini marathon. You can join us and win some of our art at http://www.24hourartathon.com/ we also have a group on Facebook for the event just let me know and I'll invite you. All artists or creatives are welcome to join us in creating that day. I'm also working on a portrait of a German Shepard. What would you like to see me do? Circa 2018.
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"So God Created Man."
God has plans for exciting next stages.... May His name be forever magnified!
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"According to Matthew" Biblical Museum of art 8x8 Charity Auction