20"x32" pencil on paper
A drawing of a photo I had taken while traveling in Iceland. We found this lighthouse while exploring Snæfellsjökull National Park. It's one of my favorite places in the world.
12"x9" Prismacolor Ebony pencil on Canson PleinAir Illustration Artboard
A pet portrait capturing one of the rare moments when Pixie actually sits still. This was a challenging piece that took about 20 hours to complete. I started with a rough sketch that was refined over time, starting with the eyes. The focal point of the composition, it was important to get the eye and lid shapes correct as well as her "eyeliner" as her eyes are very expressive. From there I built up the shadows with minimal graphite sheen being sure to also replicate the texture and sheen of her coat.
I was hired by an Amazon seller to photograph a set of ice cream scoops for his shop. I didn't have ice cream on hand, so I made prop ice cream out of shortening, powdered sugar, and food coloring. The "strawberries" and "chocolate chips" are bits of Sculpy clay. This was the end result.
9"x12", colored pencil on Strathmore Artagain paper
A drawing from a reference photo, I focused on capturing the texture of the cat's fur, the tones and shadows within, and the way the light was reflected in her eye.I don't work with colored pencil often, but after this piece, I think I might!
24"x36", oil on canvas
Gorillas are gentle giants that display many human-like behaviors and emotions, such as sadness and laughter. These magnificent creatures have always fascinated me, so I challenged myself to paint this portrait for an art show curated by a local animal activist. It's more of an illustrative than realistic style, but I believe the result is still striking.
"Overgrown"
Inktober 2019, Day 14 Challenge
9"x12"
Ink on Bristol
Inktober is an annual worldwide drawing event started by Jake Parker. A drawing prompt is provided for each day in October and participants create ink drawings and post them online. 2019 was my first year to participate and complete the challenge.
I enjoy working in Photoshop, so when the idea struck me to create a series of digital collages focused on movie directors, I knew I had to make it happen. Using imagery from the works that made him famous, Alfred Hitchcock is the first of the three-image series.
9"x12", Derwent Onyx Dark pencil on Strathmore toned paper
All men are created equal. In light of the turmoil the US is suffering, I took the opportunity to depict my rendition of equality while also suggesting a sense of intimacy in the hands' entwined fingers
I was tasked with repairing and retouching the photo on the left. As you can see there was extensive damage to the face—so much that there wasn't much of a nose or any reference image to work with. I rebuilt the nose to what it seemed like it should be and the client was well pleased.
16"x20", oil on canvas
This still life presented a challenge to me in that I hadn't painted a skull from life before, the patterns on the fabric and how the shadows fell on it were not easy to emulate, and the subtle values of bone are particularly difficult to capture. With a bit of patience, I came away with a painting I was pleased with.
12"x9", oil pastel on Strathmore Artagain paper
A study in oil pastel for a larger painting in the near future. It was a challenge to draw this complex grouping, but the study helps me resolve any proportions and perspective issues before starting the larger work.
9"x12", Prismacolor Ebony pencil on Strathmore drawing paper
This self-challenge was to convey emotion without a facial expression. In this case, the subject's entire body tells the story. She's not sleeping peacefully—she's in great pain as she hides her face and curls up into herself on the floor.
My third sculpture. I worked with a photo reference to build it in clay, made a mold of the completed scultpure and cast it in plaster. The plaster piece was then spray painted with a metallic paint and thinned oil paint was used to emulate a bronze patina.
10"x10", acrylic on canvas
Crows have always fascinated me and it seems I'm not alone. Many cultures hold the belief that crows guard secrets of ancient worlds and possess great wisdom. I created this portrait using only gold, black and silver acrylic paint.
18"x24", acrylic on canvas
First in a series capturing imagery as light emerging from the darkness. This series attempts to capture implied intimate moments, while exploring the subtleties of black and white and how they interact with each other.
11"x14", acrylic on canvas
In the Native American tradition, the great blue heron brings messages of self-determination and self-reliance and represent the ability to progress and evolve. It is also a symbol of good fortune. I painted this heron to capture a tranquil moment.
9"x12", charcoal pencil and chalk on Strathmore tan toned paper
Small gestures and microexpressions can convey a lot of information when you're paying attention. Hands especially can be very expressive. My goal was to capture intimacy with a cropped close-up that focuses on the hand as it casually grips the sheet.
11"x14", ink on watercolor paper
I had originally created this piece as an Inkober 2018 drawing using gel, micron and ballpoint pens. A client requested to purchase that particular drawing, but the quality was subpar as it was drawn in a sketchbook. The client agreed to a recreation of the piece on better paper with better drawing materials.
