Trying out a new skill.

At work, we’ve been trying out some new aesthetics and I thought I would try my hand at pattern design. Its fun to try and who knows…maybe it’ll develop into a new section for the ole portfolio.

Finally Photographed Some Oil Paintings

I've been painting for a long time, but I've never been one to photograph my oil paintings. (Digital painting and illustration took over when I entered the workforce). So now, I'm trying to force myself to photograph my oil paintings more.

I'd like to finally approach galleries if anyone has recommendations on where to start...or possibly sell directly if anyone is interested.

Fish and Truck 36x48"

Chicken-cow (including frame) 17"x20"

Rooster Bull 12"x24"

Giant Squirrel on Truck 24"x24"

Walking Flowers

With all the weird weather of late, some of the plants sprouted early just as the north plunged into winter again. So some of the walking flowers came south for an early spring. It’s always pretty to see a single walking flower climb across a window, but it’s kinda scary when they swarm to sun themselves on top of your car.

Some people claim these flowers root into flesh and spore seeds into their host at the end of the flower’s lifecycle, but this rarely happens to people. Still, doesn’t “rarely” mean it still occasionally happens to people?

Trashcan Critter

I was going to take the trash can to the curb last week when I heard some noise coming from within. Slowly I approached the noise and heard this little guy grunting and aggressively licking a cottage cheese carton. Quickly, I ran back inside to get an apple and coaxed him out with it. Since then, he’s been hanging around the house (when the dogs don’t scare him away). Sometimes he’ll bang and scratch at the patio door. I’ll give him a snack and draw him while he stares at me.

Baba Yaga's hut

When I made this I was fascinated with the challenge of combining the creature aspect of Baba yaga’s hut with the architecture.

I especially fell in love with the idea of a fat chicken who was so dis-formed that you barely noticed it was a chicken, and thats what the hut perched on.

Razorhead

I’m getting back into traditional sketching and drew a Razorhead and her piglets.

Not gonna lie, I was partially inspired by Arkansas Razorbacks, so “Woo Pig Sooie!”

Kitchen Window

Heres two of the ideas that went into this:

I remember sitting in my Nanny and Papa's kitchen as a really young kid and wondering why none of the cartoons or movies or even art in museums looked like the homes my family lived in. I tried to paint something like that home here. Thats probably the first artistic thought I remember ever thinking.

Also, its about this Reba song I started thinking about back in 2020. (I grew up with my mom's Reba cassettes, so theres probably a Reba song for every occasion...even pandemics) The chorus goes like this: “Is there life out there? So much she hasn’t done. Is there life beyond her family and her home? She’s done what she should. Should she do what she dares? She doesn’t want to leave. She’s just wondering is there life out there?”

Sam's Demon

This is my idea for a children’s book about a boy named Sam who befriends the Jersey Devil.

I imagine it would be a bit like Pete’s Dragon, but with a scary monster that the locals are convinced is a demon.

King Kong

I really feel proud of this piece, I’ve just moved it out of my illustration section as I’m hoping to focus on a particular artistic voice in that section.

Alice in Wonderland

Again, I’m rearranging part of my website and I thought this might go here for now. I started these illustrations of Alice in Wonderland when I was applying to art school. I thought it would be good to experiment with my own take on a classic story. I learned a lot from these images; for example how much I love playing with composition and how it can tell a story. I also learned how much creature design and plant life inspire me.

When I worked on these images, I realized that my goal was to use composition to create a disorienting mood, so I played with dutch angles, arches and curves in the composition to keep from having a flat plane for the characters.