Painting

Admittedly, I wouldn't consider myself much of a painter. I prefer to work in dry media because I feel like I have better control. At one of my final semesters at UCF I enrolled in an Advanced Drawing class. Because only a small number of students signed up, we were all moved into the Advanced Painting class. The instructor told us that we were welcome to draw, however, he encouraged us to paint because that was the only thing he was going to teach. I decided to go with the flow and try to learn something new. To my disappointment the instructor was reluctant to teach the basics of painting and I found myself working in a unfamiliar medium with little direction. I had never taken a painting class before and now I was in an advanced class trying to figure out how to do simple things like use a brush. The only thing the instructor would tell me was that he "didn't like my brush strokes". When I asked him how I could improve my technique he would only offer vague advice like "just keep trying". 

One day he came up to me and again proclaimed that he "didn't like my brush strokes". In a moment of frustration I threw my brush down and said "FINE!". I smeared paint all over my hands and forearms and rubbed them all over the canvas. I rarely used a brush in his class after that. 

"The Sneeze"

After I painted the background yellow I used my finger tips to create the field of green. For the blue, I soaked a rubber dog toy in paint and slapped it against the canvas.

"The Spark"

This affect was achieved by flicking the paint on to the canvas. 

"Slippery"

For this piece I layered thin waves of green over a yellow background. Thick globs of dark green and blue were dropped onto the canvas.

"The Flare"

For this one I painted spurts of red and splattered black on top.

As frustrating as the process was in the beginning, I have to say that I did enjoy the liberation that came from choosing not to use a brush. Shortly before I began these paintings I had started to work with a performance art company called DRIP. The first show I was involved with was one we did for the Orlando Fringe Festival called "WET". During "WET" the dancers used their bodies as a way to move paint and create art. As I worked on these paintings I began to see it as my way to better understand DRIP and use my own body as a medium to create.

Being in a class I was uncomfortable in, being willing to try something new, and ultimately finding my own solutions, helped me relate to art in a brand new way. I was no longer just the creator, I was actively involved and participating on a whole new level.

Neill

I took this photo of my friend Neill while we were in his car. I had brought my camera and I began taking pictures of him because I knew it would get on his nerves. I ended up getting this shot. It is my favorite picture of him because it captures that expression that is uniquely his: a slight smirk under his beard and eyes that hint at a mischievous nature. I can't believe that one picture was able to capture his personality so well. 

Central Park

I was lucky enough to go to New York in fall of 2007. New York has an energy like no where else on earth. My sister Jenny and I spent almost an entire day walking around in Central Park just taking it all in. Shortly after we got to the park I took this picture of a statue covered in birds. I love that in the middle of this energetic city you can still lose yourself in moments of serenity.

This was a path in Central Park. It was right around Thanksgiving and I was lucky enough to see some green as well as the changing of the seasons. It was such a perfect fall day. 

This was towards the end of our walk through Central Park. I love the way you can see the accomplishment of man and the beauty of nature in the same picture without either one taking over. They work together in perfect harmony.

Liz in Yellowstone

This is my youngest sister Liz at the Grand Teton National Park. I took this picture after we had climbed to the top of the mountain. I think she took more pride in reaching the top than any of my other family members. 

Self Portrait

This was a self portrait I made for an intermediate drawing class at UCF. I had gotten off work late and headed down to the studio to draw. I was tired but once I got started I felt compelled to keep going. I surprised myself with the level of detail I was able to achieve. When I showed it to my teacher he loved it but asked why I had such an intense expression on my face. I told him that I had to fight with a freshman for a spot by the mirror. I won.

Jacques Callot Study

This was an illustration I made in junior college. I had some really good art teachers but my favorite was Kevin Grass. He was a photorealistic painter and illustrator. He was a tough teacher, demanding the best from his students and grading accordingly. Sensitive students found him difficult, but I knew I could learn a lot from him. I constantly asked him for his honest opinions and criticism of my work. He taught me how to shade and how to approach anatomy. My skills improved so much in that class.

For our final assignment he had us recreate a sketch from a master artist from one of our books. I chose a sketch by a French artist named Jacques Callot. The drawing had to be close to life size so I got a huge piece of brown paper and taped it to the dinning room wall. It took several hours but I was pleased with the results. When I brought it to class I noticed that several kids had done the same illustration as me, but mine looked the best. I will never forget when Kevin Grass walked up to my picture. He looked it over and said "I'm going to give you a B because the shading on the leg is a little off". He wrote my grade down in his grade book and casually stated "You did a really good job, it looks great". Coming from a man who rarely gave praise, that was a huge compliment. I was so proud of that B.

Jenny's Graduation

After my sister's college graduation we went to my uncle's cabin in Dunnellon Florida. We were having a family cook out in her honor. Jenny, the proverbial hippie, wore her usual attire but kept the graduation hat on. I was on the dock when she came to join me and I snapped this shot of her. This is one of my favorite pictures of Jenny because she is in her element and being her goofy self.