My Thoughts on Social Media and Artistic Nudity

I want to say something regarding my recent painting “Same Breath” and how instagram decided to react to my first post of it.

 
 

Even though I was warned by other artists who paint nude figures regularly I can’t help but be disappointed in instagram’s immediate penalization of my content. Luckily my post wasn’t removed but they flagged it and removed several posts on my story in addition to making me ineligible for monetization for several weeks. And since posting this painting several more times each time was met with another slap on the wrist. All of this for a piece of artwork that showcases the dynamic beautify of the human form. Unfortunately I have shied away from making paintings like this for years in fear of these exact consequences. Even though I have loved illustrating the nude figure ever since my first figure drawing classes in college, I have held back in my professional work because I knew that social media can be strict with their community guidlines. I find it most frustrating that meta chose to flag my post for “sexual content” when (I want to be loud and clear about this) there is nothing inherently sexual about the human form, nude or otherwise. Sexualization is something imposed on the nude body by an external viewer who cannot appreciate its innate beauty and strength so they result to objectification. The painting I posted came from the depths of my soul, it was raw, emotional, and sensitive but in no way sexually driven in any way. I you read the description you will know it is about the transition of a soul from one form to another. And I hate to play the blame game but I have seen some unspeakably offensive posts on this platform relating to sex, violence, racism and sexism that were not only allowed to stay up but were actually amplified by the algorithm to be seen by more and more people.

 
 

If I’m being honest this is an issue that is much broader than instagram. Our culture has developed to a point that we are so afraid of the human form that it is specifically hidden from sight and ONLY to be seen in a sexual context. So it’s no wonder that this is how our minds work. Just for some personal context, when I took live model drawing classes in college, me and all of the students learned very quickly that not only does nudity not equate to sex but it also showcases the striking uniqueness and universality of all our bodies. When you as a student sit at your drawing horse for hours upon hours thoughtfully observing and replicating the incredible curves, angles and textures of the human form you gain a deep appreciation for the human body as a work of art and not something to be sexualized in every context. When our instructor found people to model for our classes he made sure to find a variety of people of all shapes, sizes and ages and through this exposure we all learned to find beauty in all of these forms.

Sorry if I am rambling but this feedback from instagram got my mind thinking about these ideas and I wanted to vocalize them. Art is so important to me and I feel like it can benefit so many people if we are ready to engage in it. And I specifically think that artwork involving nudity can have a powerful role in reshaping our societies skewed views of sexuality, hopefully creating a renewed appreciate and respect for the bodies we all inhabit.


I’m sure that meta will most definitely NOT fix their system but I just wanted to vent my thoughts to you all and remind you that we all move about this world in a precious vessel. This body that we inhabit deserves to be respected and appreciated as a work of art.

The Wait is Over! Two Brand New Terra Human Paintings!

Hello, I hope you are doing well! I'm really excited to share two brand new Terra Human Paintings with you today! As some of you may know I was not able to finish these paintings in time for the Contemporary Figuration show at Abend Gallery due to a muscle spasm in my neck. So after many many hours of painting I finally finished these two pieces and am so excited to share them with you. For clarity these paintings are available DIRECTLY from me since they were never exhibited at the gallery.

 
 

If you have the time please read my descriptions for the paintings as well, I dedicate a lot of time and energy into writing thoughtful descriptions for every painting I make and these are certainly no exception.  I really hope that these paintings encourage introspection and a renewed sense of empathy. Please reach out to me if you want to know more about these paintings (ie. additional photos or videos). They can be purchased directly from my website by using the buttons below the photos. Payment plans are available upon request so don't hesitate to contact me if that is something you are interested in.

 
 

"Same Breath"  |  12"x12" Framed  |  *SOLD*

Painting Description
After wandering the harsh and unforgiving mountains for longer than he could remember he realized that he had forgotten what he was searching for. He was desperately in need of something but could never find it and couldn’t even name it. Not knowing what to do or where to go he stoped in his tracks, kneeled down and reached down into the earth that he had been traversing on top of for all of his life. Feeling something soft among the dirt and roots he used all of this strength to pull a human form from the earth that housed it for so long. He held her in this exact spot for years looking at her in awe and feeling at peace, as if he finally understood something better than he understood himself. And the longer he held her the more he wished to see the world as she might see it.
Slowly every breath he exhaled moved a part of his soul into her. Until he no longer had the strength to hold her but as he took his last breath she took her first and she was able to hold him as his warmth departed. Saying goodbye she slowly lowered him to rest in the mountains as the tress and plants lovingly embraced his presence. In a new form but with the same breath she was now free to walk this earth truly at peace, no longer searching.

 
 

"Harvest Moon"  |  12"x16" Framed  |  $2500

Painting Description
In times of true despair we are the most open to changing our ways. When our hearts are finally empty and our minds exhausted we finally look outside of ourselves to do the one thing we swore we would never do, ask for help. Less than halfway up the mountain we collapse, we lay down our pride and stop ignoring the pain that has plagued us for so much of the journey. With tears falling from our eyes we give in to all that has overwhelmed us, finally acknowledging the hurt and letting it envelope us.
After some time of gazing at the moon for comfort we finally look around to see many others who are illuminated by the moonlight as well, all making the same journey up the mountain. But they all look down as they trudge their way up with the same pains and despair weighing them down. All but one who notices us sitting in the cold dirt and offers an open hand but when we are too exhausted to take it so they decide to sit down with us, staring at the moon and enjoying the comfort of another.

"Choosing Light" Limited Edition Prints are Finally Here!

Thank you for taking the time to read this exciting announcement! I am officially launching limited edition prints of my painting "Choosing Light". I feel so fortunate that this piece had such a loving reception on social media resulting in it being sold to a new collector in Dubai. So I wanted to release some prints of it so that everyone can their own special copy of this unique painting. 

Since these are limited edition I will only be printing a total of 200 copies of this painting and after that the edition will be over. But here is my favorite part! Each copy is a canvas print so it has the beautiful canvas texture and additionally is ready to hang right out of the box! I spent a lot of time ordering and reviewing several different test prints to find just the right look for this piece and when I took the canvas version out of the box I knew this was the right look!
IMPORTANT: This is a limited time drop! These prints will be available to order starting today Wednesday May 8th until Sunday May 12th.
More details below

Each print is priced at $100
Each print is 18"x24" 
Printed on canvas
Comes with a hand signed Certificate of Authenticity
200 Prints will be created in total

Final Note: The First 5 orders will receive certificates with a brief paragraph of my hand written thoughts on the painting.

"Choosing Light" Has Been Sold!

I am just so proud to say that thanks to a recent viral video on my instagram, my painting “Choosing Light” has been sold! I’m so appreciative of everyone who engaged with and comment on this video helping it reach over half a million people! This engagement helped my painting find the right person who was just over the moon with excitement to buy it.

This is such a personal painting for me and I really cannot tell you how much it means to me that so many people connected with it and that one person resonated with it so much that they needed to buy it as soon as possible! This painting is about embracing my intense empathy towards others even when it sometimes hurts and so so many people related to what I said and took my message to heart. I received so many comments and messages from people telling me that seeing this painting and reading my message actually brought them to tears. This was genuinely an out of body experience and I’m really excited for the buyer in Dubai.

I’m a little busy with paintings for a show in April at the moment, but I’m hoping to do a limited edition print release of this paintings to celebrate the sale! I’m thinking of doing a pre-order for these prints so I can know exactly how many to print. So please keep an eye out here on my website as well as on my socials!

Recent Sales from the Abend Holiday Show

Hey there! I’m very happy to say that two out of my three new paintings for the Holiday Miniatures Show at Abend Gallery have been sold! I spent countless hours on all three of these paintings so it is hugely rewarding to see that two of them are going a home where they will be enjoyed by a collector. I’m really happy to see so many paintings being sold through this show and look forward to doing another show with Abend in April.

My final new painting that is available from the show is “Witness to the Unknown”. Use the button below to view it in the gallery shop.

Three New Paintings for the Holiday Miniatures Show

Hello All! Thank you for your patience while I completed these new paintings. I’m very excited to share three brand new pieces with you that I’ve created for the 33rd Annual Holiday Miniatures Show at Abend Gallery! I worked on these paintings for several months and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Two out of the three pieces have already been sold so be sure to use the link below to see my available gallery paintings.

"Among the Stars"  |  8"x10"  Framed  |  Sold

If I am nothing but a tiny ripple in a vast ocean, a speck of light in an infinite sky of stars, how do I matter? And if my time on this pale blue dot is only a microscopic blip on the timeline of its existence, why should I live with purpose?

As she contemplated these thoughts the universe asked her to lay her head down. And as she did this she was shown the people that she loved and how her existence altered them, microscopically shifting their life path just by being herself and loving with her full heart. And then she saw how her influence in that person altered another person. And then her impact on that person influenced another. She was shown the spread of her impact again and again, a light that spread further than she could ever imagine, until it finally stopped and her presence in the world was not longer. Even though her impact was great eventually all memory of her would fade and her mark will eventually disappear.

The universe told her even though her wave would eventually return to the ocean as if it had never existed in the first place, it did exist in perfect beauty in the exact right moment and it will find its resting place back in the collective of the universe.

"Hunter's Gaze"  |  8"x10"  Framed  |  Sold

One of my favorite animals while growing up was the barn owl. I found their look and demeanor to be so unique and thought-provoking and I really loved reading about these creatures and discovering what made them unique. I especially enjoyed drawing them and trying to render their unique faces. And I always found their eyes to be incredibly mesmerizing and attention grabbing. These incredibly dark eyes hold so much expression and intensity which I hope that I captured in this piece. It gave me a lot of joy to capture this graceful creature in a painting.

"Witness to the Unknown"  |  8"x10"  Framed  |  $1500

Gazing up at the night sky in a time long before our own. We begin to see subtle green lights moving across the impossibly dark sky. The longer we look the more the colors seem to intensify and brighten as they form into amazingly long curtains reaching up to the heavens. In this time before scientific explanation this incomprehensible phenomenon ignites a spark of wonder in our hearts. A feeling of genuine humility while witnessing the absolute beauty of the planet that we live on.
And because we are human we choose to create beautiful stories and mythologies to explain this unimaginable wonder. Passing along these tales as a way to connect with one another and to find a semblance of understanding in vast unknown.

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.

"As One" has been SOLD!

I am so honored to say that my painting “As One” has been sold! This piece has been so special to me for several years now and I’m ecstatic that it found a new home.

For me, this painting served as a giant leap forward in my skill level and confidence as an artist when I made it back in 2019. While creating this piece I had to silence so many doubts and trust myself and the final result allowed me to keep pushing with even bigger and better paintings.

And while I have you here, I want to encourage you to use the button below to see what paintings and prints are available in my online shop! Artwork can make for such meaningful holiday gifts!

International ARC Salon Semi-Finalist!

I am absolutely honored to announce that my painting "Light After Dark" is a semi-finalist in the 16th International ARC Salon! With over 5400 submissions from 75 countries, humbled doesn't even begin to describe my mental state. I've wanted to apply to this competition for years now but always missed the deadline. So I honestly cant believe that one of my pieces got selected.

 

The finalists will be announced on November 1st! As always thank you for your continued support over social media! It is greatly appreciated.

“Light After Dark” is currently available for purchase from my solo show with Abend Gallery. Use the button below to view it in their shop!

 

Terra Human | Six New Paintings!

Hi all! In case you missed it, I’ve compiled all of my new paintings from my solo show with Abend Gallery right here in this blog post! I worked INCREDIBLY hard on this show and it would mean the world to me if you checked out all of these paintings either here or on the Abend website. These six paintings took over six months to produce and each one has a special place in my heart. If you click on the full image of each painting you can view that piece on the Abend website and purchase it if you wish. Also prints of all of these paintings are available directly from me. All you have to do is click the button below to view them in my shop!

One Hundred Years

This painting explores a single moment expanded over a century . This woman has searched far and wide to find the perfect natural setting for her to sit and search for answers to her deepest questions. In her first few years sitting in this exact spot, she learns about herself, thinking about her uniqueness as an individual and coping with and later resolving past traumas that she let define her for so many years. 

While sitting a little longer, she is able to open her mind beyond herself, recognizing the people that she has hurt and the people she has loved, forgiving herself for past mistakes and accepting who she is at her core. After this step she begins to feel every rock and every blade of grass that surrounds her as they begin to grow up her form and embrace her stillness. After several more years of sitting she begins to feel the presences of every single life form around her. Every insect, bird, mouse and rabbit emits a pulse of life that gives her energy and a sense of belonging. After many more years, the concept of time begins to lose its meaning and the straight line from beginning to end starts to connect end to end forming a circle. After sitting for 100 years her past and future fade away and she finds the moment.

herself.Original Piece Size: 10”x15”

Medium: Oil on Panel (Framed)

Citadel

As she looks towards the setting sun, she thinks of the many people who tried to remove her from this exact spot. Their words trying to convince her that she was undeserving of love and too vulnerable to achieve her ambitions. She thinks of the many sacrifices that she made in order to forge her own path in a world trying to push her into mediocrity. No matter how much doubt manifested in her head and no matter how much negativity she received from others, she chose to hold her ground believing in her abilities. Poised and willing to grow, she learned from the cliffs around her to be confident and decisive while learning from the wild grass to flexible and move with the wind. As the ocean breeze blows through her hair and the waves embrace her feet, she reflects on the end of another day and she takes pride in trusting

herself.Original Piece Size: 14”x20”

Medium: Oil on Panel (Framed)

Coherence

This painting provides a visualization of the dichotomy between how we see ourselves and how others see us. When we do the intense work of learning about ourselves and consciously choose to grow we can feel lost and fragmented. Just like plants, as we grow our branches might split in order to reach in new facets of ourselves but they are still rooted to the same source. In our eyes this growing and splitting can make us feel fractured and undefined, lost because we are looking for purpose. But in the eyes of those who love us, they can step back and see us as a beautiful collage of intertwining and complex branches, growing towards the light of self-knowledge. When they look into our eyes they see all of our new and old facets defining us and guiding us to our true identity.

Original Piece Size: 12”x16”

Medium: Oil on Panel (Framed)

Light After Dark

This piece illustrates the morning after a prolonged darkness of pain and helplessness. When we hurt for the world we feel an unrelenting sadness to our core and it can be unbelievably difficult to see how the sun will rise again. There are so many aspects of this world that can make us feel powerless, to the point when we may even feel that have lost autonomy over our own bodies and minds. But on this particular morning, the sun rose with incredible power, casting warmth and light on all those people who try to do good in this world. The sunbeams illuminate these individuals showing their love and empathy and as you open your eyes you can see their drive to change our world for the better. Even knowing that the darkness will inevitably take over again, the intense light gives us a renewed sense of agency to fight for others and to fight for a better world.

Original Piece Size: 10”x15”

Medium: Oil on Panel (Framed)

Sower of Seeds

This painting shows a man in complete harmony with the nature that surrounds him. But this harmony hasn’t always existed, in the distant past this being thought  himself superior to the natural world and chose to exploit it for personal gain.  He completely lost his identity and his relationship with nature in the pursuit for power. Eventually this conflict reached a breaking point and the man was forced to confront his misdoings and reshape his relationship with the fading life that sounded him. This man spent years working to reverse his mistreatments to our world while closely studying how the smallest lifeforms live in cooperative harmony. Across these many years he has also done the work of self-reflection and personal growth to find a balance in his soul that gave him a renewed respect for nature. And once he found this balance and drastically changed his actions, the grass and trees around him began to feel safe to embrace him once again even while knowing his dark and selfish past. Even after all of the wrong he did, the most vulnerable life forms in our world embraced him with forgiveness and acceptance. This being who used to be a destroyer and conqueror has now became a true nurturer of life, serving as a protector of the planet that gave him everything he knows.

Original Piece Size: 10”x14”

Medium: Oil on Panel (Framed)

Protected Spirit

As we grow from children to adults our harsh and structured world does its best to conform us, placing us in categorized boxes of adulthood to keep our world organized. The first thing to be lost in this process is our childlike creativity that brings joy, wonder and excitement into our lives. The hands in this painting are protecting this pure and creative spirit even while the outside world attempts to extinguish it. This energetic spirit longs to dance, create with colors, sing songs and construct stories as a way to bring life into a sometimes colorless world. These hands are choosing to foster this spirit in order to encourage love and empathy in a world that needs it now more than ever.

Original Piece Size: 9”x12”

Medium: Oil on Panel (Framed)

Two New Paintings in the Animalia III Show | Abend Gallery Denver

Hello! I’m honored to be included in the Abend Gallery show Animalia III an animal themed show! Below you will find two brand new paintings that I created specifically for this show. I worked incredibly hard on each of these pieces so I really hope that you enjoy them. As of the writing of this blog post “Mutuality” has been sold but “Reflected Soul” is still available for purchase. Click the button below to view the whole show on the Abend Gallery website!

"Reflected Soul" | 16" Framed | $2000

Reflected Soul Framed 1.jpg
Reflected Soul Framed 3.jpg

This piece illustrates the very special relationship that humans can have with animals. The animal kingdom is diverse and powerful and we aren’t as separate from it as much as we often think. This is made apparent when we have brief yet significant moments of connection with an animals out in their element.

When a person stumbles on the right animal it can reflect our souls back at us, revealing a new understanding of ourselves on how we relate to the world around us. These unique life forms can often bring out our best traits such as gratitude, understanding and empathy. Animals such as this starling can remind us of the strength and fragility of the natural world and the intricate patterns on its feathers serve as a reminder that all life on this earth is complex and valuable.

"Mutuality" | 11"x14" Framed | SOLD

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Mutuality Framed 1.jpg
Mutuality Framed 3.jpg

This piece depicts the fleeting moments of connection that we can experience with the animal kingdom. When we come across an animal such as this buck there is often an initial moment of fear that often grows into a form of mutual respect and admiration. There is no need for conflict or fear, both are simply existing in each other’s space for a brief moment while time passes slower than usual. Stumbling across such a strong and beautiful animal can be incredibly humbling in a way that makes one think of the vast world that surrounds us and how we are but one life form amongst billions.

This beautiful moment of eye contact can allow us to step outside of ourselves and appreciate the amazing and diverse life forms that surround us.