This has been such a special piece for me because it’s a painting of my older sister’s hands.
Read moreReveal of My Newest Commission!
I am so excited to finally share the final result of my most recent commission! Several months ago I was contacted by someone who wanted to memorialize her recently deceased father who was a 5th generation cattle rancher in The North Platte River Valley of Southern Wyoming.
The original photo that I was given was in black and white so in order to make this image come to life as a painting I had to do a few things. First I used a colorizing AI that is specifically used to bring color to old black and white photos. After a few additional edits from me I now had an image that was in color but still lacking in some details. Luckily the clinet was able to take some photos of the original print and then them to me. These photos had just enough details in his face and saddle to make a much more convincing painting so I patched these photos into my reference so that I could have those important details in the final stages of the painting.
I felt so honored to receive such an intimate and meaningful project and for the next 4 months I worked tirelessly to make a painting worthy of such a significant person. While working on this painting I thought a lot about the person I was painting and what he might have meant to the family who so recently lost him and while there aren’t many comparisons between a cattle rancher and an oil painter I thought of a few.
While painting Chuck I thought of the concept of meaningful work and how he must have found so much joy and fulfillment doing what he loved everyday of his life. And no matter the difficulties that came with this lifestyle he always chose to live in alignment with who he truly was. Ranching, hunting and being in nature was how he interacted with the world so the long days of exhaustion labor were always worth it. I also thought of his love for his family and his commitment to their wellbeing. His presence seemed to tie his family all together and even when his presence took the a different form in this painting, he brought them all together with beautiful memories and stories.
It’s really hard to describe but this whole project felt so much bigger than me. I feel like I was allowed to use my craft to help this family heal. Upon delivery, they welcomed me into their home with hugs and tears and wanted to hear every detail of my artistic process. This painting seemed to help bring them closure and an understanding that Chuck will always be with them in their memories and stories.
A Painting of My Wife
I started this piece two years ago but didn’t have time to photograph it and come up with a description until now. I posted this painting on February 17th to celebrate my wife’s birthday.
From the first moment that I met this person I could see that she was different from anyone I had ever met. Her level of self knowledge and confidence immediately drew me to her. From our first meeting I saw that she strongly knew who she was and not afraid to hide her values or identity from anyone.
Since our meeting I have had the pleasure of knowing this person and living life with her for 11 years and she has never ceased to impress and inspire me. Her relentless commitment to self-knowledge and self-improvement inspire me everyday to be a better person and to look out for the ones I love. And her excitement to learn about herself and the world around her makes me admire her even more. This person moves through the world with passion and vulnerability, while effortlessly encouraging others to do the same.
This is the strongest person I know and I am honored to share my life with her.
This piece is titled “Apricity” meaning the warmth of sun in the winter.
5x5 Project XI | Abend Gallery in Cherry Creek
Hello everyone! Here are three brand new 5x5s that I had for 5x5 Project XI with Abend Gallery for their Cherry Creek location grand opening! I had a great time at the opening and look forward to seeing more shows in this beautiful space. Click the button below to view the whole show.
"Above Tree Line" | 5"x5" Framed | $525
"Wide Open" | 5"x5" Framed | $525
"Fortis Avis" | 5"x5" Framed | SOLD
New Prints Available! Every 5x5 Painting is Now Available in Print Form!
I’m very happy to announce that I have 13 brand new prints available for you!
Read moreNew Throwback Posts!
It's been a while since I've done a throwback post so I hope you enjoy this fun comparison of one of the first faces I painted as a professional artist to my most recent painting of a face!
Believe it or not I used to be terrified of painting people and faces in particular so I often stylized figures or just left their faces blank. The idea of a human face is so engrained into our brains that we can almost always tell if it is illustrated incorrectly by an artist. We can't always vocalize it but we can tell if there is something slightly off in the proportions. So this fear of failure prevented me from even attempting to paint people's faces for a while even though I loved looking at portrait paintings. More and more I was drawn to figurative art but was afraid of painting faces and failing at what I loved to do.
The painting on the right "Terra Firma" was one of my first real attempts at painting a figure while also including the face. I worked on this piece with caution and excitement because I was so entranced with the concept and vision I had in my head. I actually started this piece with the intention of NOT painting her face as to avoid the intimidation factor. But the more I painted the more I felt confident in my abilities and was willing to take the risk of illustrating the face in full.
The painting on this right is my most recent painting of a face. "The Giver" features a seamless double exposure portrait of a woman blended with the leaves, branches and sunlight that surround her. Even now when I am much more confident in my painting abilities I approach every piece with humility because every painting can be a new and unpredictable experience. I just feel thankful that my painting abilities are starting to catch up with the visions I piece together in my head. I truly love painting people because we instinctively connect with the person we see on the canvas and can use it as a way to reflect on ourselves.
I want to share this throwback image to show that inspiring ideas don't just materialize out of nowhere, they build over your years of hard work, risk-taking and sensitivity to your surroundings. In 2015 as part of my senior thesis as an art major I painted my biggest and boldest painting to date. I had grown into a relatively confident landscape painter but decided to jump into the unknown by incorporating these haunting figures traversing the landscape. This decision would completely shift the narrative of the piece and give me the confidence to create unique and risky paintings for years to come. I often think back to this piece and the distinct moment when I had finished the landscape portion and finally worked up the courage to start painting the figures. It actually felt like jumping off a cliff into the unknown, both terrifying and exhilarating.
So when people ask me how I come up with ideas for my paintings I try to express that I have been accumulating interesting concepts, images and emotions for years in my head without really realizing it. This allows my art to build on itself in a natural progression so that I don't feel lost in a sea of ideas. When you look at these two paintings side-by-side you can clearly see an improvement in technique while also seeing a distinct starting point for the concept. With each new painting I try to take a small but uncomfortable risk so that I always feel like I'm moving forward and trying something new.
I hope you enjoy this fun comparison between a painting from 2017 vs a painting in 2020.
As I've evolved into a figurative painter over the past few years its been hard to unsee a large disparity in this genre of art. Notably that the majority of figurative art focuses on women rather than men. And even more stunning is that the majority of paintings of women are painted by men. Now this branches into a much larger topic that I've discussed in my blog but I just want to sum it up in saying that as a figurative painter I want to do my best to represent all people. Since I started tentatively painting people several years ago I've made a conscious effort to specifically paint men. I do this even while knowing that these paintings on average don't sell as often as paintings of women. I do this because I hope to shift the norm in this regard and show not only that paintings of men are valuable and interesting but that they don't also have to be hyper masculine or show a "typical" version of strength. Artwork in general has an opportunity to show that men are multifaceted and complex creatures that are allowed to listen to their emotions.
I hope you see what I'm trying to accomplish in a lot of my artwork. In the years to come I am planning on pushing myself to paint more people of color as well as more people in the LGBTQ+ family.
"EVE" Limited Edition Prints are Available!!!
"EVE" limited edition prints are officially available! You can view and purchase your very own print by clicking the button below!
There will be ONLY 50 limited edition prints created and each is the actual size of the original painting (18"x24"). I worked closely with LKMNDD who took detailed photos of every section of the painting and then photo-stitched the images together to create a highly detailed print that is true to the original. Each print will be come with a signed certificate of authenticity that displays your print number.
To celebrate the week of release, every print ordered between now and Friday at midnight will be 15% off!
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I'm incredibly excited to be releasing these prints to you! I worked on this painting for over 100 hours and have worked really hard with LKMNDD to create these amazing prints for you! I have no doubt that these prints will make for excellent holiday gifts to loved ones as well as a meaningful gift to yourself.
Painting Up for Auction for Charity!
Hi everyone! I'm excited to be donating my original painting "Cascade" to Connected Through HeArt who will be auctioning it off at the end of September! All proceeds will be going to the Humane Society!
Connected Through HeArt was started in May of this year by two precocious Colorado girls who wanted to help their community through art and I'm very happy to be working with them as their first featured guest artist! Use this link to visit their website!
https://sites.google.com/.../con.../featured-guest-artist...
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!
"Uncovered Voice" A New Terra Human Painting
"Uncovered Voice"
I have finally finished my newest Terra Human piece! This one is really special to me and here is why. This piece brings an illustration to the concept of personal viewpoint. How every individual has a personal filter through which they interpret the world around them.
This concept has always been a background insecurity of mine, while growing up I was always worried that I did not have a unique way of seeing the world and therefor had no voice. Even when I created art I thought it was soulless and absent of a unique perspective. I remember expressing my insecurity about this to a friend in college when I was exploring the idea of becoming and artist after graduation. I distinctly remember telling her that I felt that every artist must have a voice to express their message to viewers and I genuinely worried that I didn’t have a voice to amplify through my art. I worried that my thoughts and ideas were not worth seeing on canvas and that I had no unique viewpoint. This friend reassured me that I did have a voice and it might take time and effort to find it, but was inside me. I listened to this advice and had faith that if I continued developing my skills and creativity I would eventually start to uncover my voice in my art.
And now I think I am at a point in my career where I am finally starting to discover my voice. I think this will be a lifelong process but I am finally starting to work through this insecurity and discover my window through which I see the world.
Thanks for listening
This original painting is available to purchase in my shop for $1800.
Click here to purchase!
Castle Rock Commission is Done!
My latest commission is done! I really enjoyed the tackling the challenges of this piece from it's massive scale, to the minuscule details of the houses to the fluffy clouds. Castle Rock is truly a beautiful area and I feel honored to recreate it as a painting. I hope you enjoy these photos and be sure to check out the time-lapse video at the bottom!
Daily Figure Studies
Hi friends, so recently I was inspired by another artist to aim for painting a figure study everyday in order to push my skills and experiment with new techniques. And while I haven’t been able to create a new one everyday it’s been a great way to take a break from a long project and work on my rendering skills. Here are a few pics of my recent studies along with time-lapse videos showing their process!
Accepted to the Stanley Arts Festival!
Hi friends, I'm happy to announced that I've been accepted to the Stanley Arts Festival in Denver this coming September!
Last year I wasn't accepted to this great festival so it's really nice to feel an improvement!
I will be able to share more details closer to the event, but this should be a great festival! After all it’s produced by Cherry Creek Arts!
Works in Progress
Hello everyone, I just thought I would share two progress photos of some paintings I’m currently working on! The photo on the left is the face of a 18”x24” Terra Human painting that is almost done! The photo on the right is a shot of a smaller Terra Human study that I’ve enjoyed working on.
Both of these paintings should be done this week and I’m excited to share the final results!
Recent Art Sales!
Hello! I’m happy to say that two very new paintings in my Small Works Collection have been sold! “Luminous” and “Snow Covered Rockies” have found two new homes and I’ sure they will be greatly appreciated. I’m very proud of how these two paintings turned out and I feel very fortunate with how quickly they sold!
Veteran Artist!
🇺🇸Hi friends, I would love to share a brief story with you. In my short flight from Chicago to Virginia two days ago I sat next to a man who was a Vietnam veteran. This kind man saw me drawing in my sketchbook and asked if I was an artist. After answering yes, he told me he was one too! He said that he used writing and drawing to cope with his PTSD over the years and it was a sort of therapy for him. By writing and drawing about his experiences in Vietnam he has been able to honor those that were lost and continue his own healing process.
We talked the whole flight about both of our relationships with art and how it can help heal people who have traumas in their lives. Towards the end of the flight he said he loved meeting artists because there is something unique about them. They document history in a way and create something that outlives them. This man chose mostly to give his drawings to his family and close friends in hopes that he would be remembered through his art. He gave me permission to share a few of his drawings on social media because I felt this story was important to share.
This man told me that war strips you of your identity and humanity but art can help restore these key aspects of yourself. So please remember these selfless people who have sacrificed so much for our safety. We are forever grateful 🙏🏻
Forest Landscape Time Lapse
Hi friends, here is a timelapse of the first few hours working on a new landscape study. I really enjoyed creating this new piece while using this new color palette. It should be done soon!
Recent Sales!
Hi friends, December has been a busy month with many sales that I’m happy to say are making for a great donation to ACE Scholarships! Here are some recent sales of original paintings!
Black Canyon
Dancer Study
Breckenridge Sunset
So far the donation to ACE Scholarship is over $300! Lets keep the momentum to support this great organization! The charity promotion will last until December 25th.
Evergreen Snow
Three Paintings Sold!
I’m very happy to say that three of my lovely Terra Human paintings have been sold to a single collector at the RiNo Music and Arts Showcase! This was an excellent show featuring over 30 unique and talented artists and several local bands.
This very kind collector told me she was looking for art that would make her smile every time she looked at it and these three fit the bill!
Here are some photos of all three paintings hanging next to each other.
New Fall Landscape in the Works!
So I am currently putting the finishing touches on my new fall landscape of Crystal Mill so here is a fun time-lapse showing the first stages of creation! I have always admired this iconic Colorado scene and am happy to render it in my own way. The final product will be up on my website soon in my Landscape section!
Autumn Landscape Painting!
This piece initially started as a landscape study of Mt. Sneffels but quickly showed some potential to be a finished product that demanded more time and attention. This piece became an excellent exercise in managing color and portraying distance. The warm fall colors in the foreground serve as an interesting contrast to the cold textured colors in the distance. For the snow on the mountain I used my palette knife to create some rough rock-like textures.
Update: This painting has been sold!
Here is a fun picture of the painting with the actual palette of paints I used!
