I have been painting my entire life. Like most kids, I enjoyed arts and crafts growing up but I never put the brush down when I got older. I started using oils as young as 6 or seven when my dad got my sisters and I a Bob Ross painting set. We called him “Puff Ball Head.” I loved participating in the Federal Duck Stamp Competition and the Reflections art program throughout school. I eventually took things a little more seriously and got a BA in painting and art history and have been exhibiting and selling paintings since 2008.

Primarily oil paint, though I do occasionally work in watercolors and acrylics for small studies. Acrylics dry too fast for my liking, however.

This question is hard to answer because it varies so much. Sometimes I finish a painting all in one session of about 5 or six hours (called “alla prima” or wet-on-wet). Other times a painting can take months or even years if I am stuck on it. This is very uncommon, however, and usually my work takes a week or less to complete depending on size and complexity.

I do not sign prints that are ordered off my website because they are shipped directly to you from the print house. That way, less packaging and traveling is necessary to get the product to its final destination.

A very limited edition of signed prints is currently available at Brazen Shop + Studio in Bellingham, WA.

I used to! Teaching one-on-one painting classes was very rewarding but I found that I would be more helpful with an understanding of psychology as many of my sessions had an element of healing and getting past personal barriers. I would love to explore the world of art therapy but need to go through proper training and certification before confidently offering the kind of art lessons that I want to— that is, more about expression and less about technical skill.

Most of my work is named after the song I was playing while painting. I have a rather obsessive relationship with music and will repeat a song for several hours at a time. My art is very influenced by music to the point where the song acts as another medium.