ABOUT

Stylistically, my art is a healthy combination of the clean look of M.C Escher and the comic book work of Kevin O'Neill. I often come back to the mix of humour and tragedy in my work. Using a brush and ink allows me to get the right result. The brush can be declarative for scenes of intense emotion or it can be fluid and airy for lighter moments.

I am constantly finding inspiration from the culture we live in. I enjoy adding elements of what I see on the news or in pop culture. I like taking elements of schlock (old horror movies, noir films) and our country’s obsession with Hollywood and putting them together in my work, sometimes thinly veiled and sometimes completely obvious.

The pen and ink drawings of Francisco Goya are so intense and moody that they really turned me on to what you can do with just a brush and ink. However, on the other end of the scale, I am extremely influenced by the paintings of the Fauvists. I was taken aback by the blinding color of Matisse's “Red Room.” The almost decorative style really appealed to me and has influenced how I paint. I realized that my work did not have to fall under one of these categories and that I could combine them to create something completely different.

My best friend is a soldier in the United States Army and a few years ago he was sent to Iraq. He had trained and worked for this and it was his duty to go. I respected him and his commitment to his job. As worried as I was for his safety, I was also inspired to do the best I could in my own work. I was so inspired that I created a graphic novel based on his experiences in Iraq entitled “The Known Soldier.” I never take for granted how lucky I am to be able to do what I love.