I appreciate you reading this excerpt about me as an artist as much as viewing my artwork. I am always interested in follower comments about my paintings as I am curious what others see and how they interpret the work. As every person is uniquely created, listening to their perspective tells me a lot about who they are as a person. I am fond of saying that I produce art not only for my intellectual satisfaction but equally to share a common chord with someone. What I wish to convey is a sketch to a much bigger painting, to borrow a metaphor. And so it begins…
If I ask close associates (including my wife!) what makes me different or standout from the crowd (besides being 6’6” tall), I often hear that I am equally right brain and left brain orientated. In other words, I have an analytical, mathematical side coexisting with a creative, intellectual side. While I say coexisting today, my journey to this point as an artist has always been the tension between the two brain halves.
Like many artists, I started expressing my abilities at a young age. I remember as a child, taking both coloring books and crayons to carefully shade scenes of light and dark to bring out dimensionality that surprised adults; versus the scribbling and out-of-bounds color in other kids work. I eventually started attending art classes and found a creative outlet during childhood.
As my formative years gave way toward school pursuits, I also was able to do well academically too. Eventually, college came around and I attended Syracuse University. At this point, you might think I rekindled my calling to art but that is still many years away. I decided to pursue economics which had the analytical elements I excelled in balanced by the social, policy and some might argue, real-world implications. This blend of looking at the world from my two brain halves allowed me to find my passion academically.
I didn’t stop there…after finishing up at Syracuse, instead of finding a job after graduation I decided to pursue an MBA in finance from Penn State. Most people wait and work a few years to gain work experience but I wanted my career and ambitions to be set and decided to finish my education now. After graduating with an MBA, I moved to Dallas to pursue a fast-track career and believe me, art was the furthest thing on my agenda.
My career did indeed start fast and I had that mentality of climbing the corporate ladder at all costs. Over the course of fifteen years I rose to a director level but something else happened along the way—life and perspective. By that I mean, I realized the corporate world is often about politics, compromises and trade-offs. I needed a counterbalance- an outlet for my suppressed creativity and attitude that was not satisfying my professional life.
Initially, the spark began as a challenge of all things, about writing poetry from a co-worker. I was intrigued whether I could do it and so I began to write. It was reaching for that inner voice and in a matter of course, discovered other people were attracted to my poems. I eventually had a website (now taken down) and published across the web. Looking back on it, I liken this experience to painting. Good poetry to me is like impressionism, using language to suggest without obvious photographic detail in order to harness other people’s imagination with an emotional connection.
This pursuit eventually evolved in me revisiting my artistic interests within this philosophy. I began painting again, especially plein-air to master impressionistic techniques. On one occasion, I was asked to produce a sports piece for a charity auction. As the auction concluded, I became intrigued by sports art and the power of suggestion to capture movement and emotion compared to the more traditional serene scenes of impressionism.
I began a passionate pursuit of sports art that continues to this day. I have worked with sport teams, athletes and commissions for people that find my work characterized as vibrant, refreshing and participatory as a viewer. I often paint of action where outcomes and uncertainty are visual elements. I believe fans relate to this connection within their own life experiences.
An outcome from sports art has been my growing interest in abstract art. About five years ago, I visited a well-known abstract artist who paints on clear acrylic panels. I became fascinated and hooked.
Today I am pursuing what is regarded as reverse painting on panels, meaning the viewer peers through at least ¼” of clear acrylic to successive painted layers on the backside. A modern presentation is further enhanced with the “glass” appearing suspended from the wall. The uniqueness arises from the optical refraction and the use of special pigments to impart dimensionality and depth. The creation process is very challenging where mistakes cannot be undone. The reward comes with the flipping of the panel and the painting is revealed.
My journey as an artist over the last fifteen years is one of discovery and self-learning. I believe my non-traditional training has allowed me to escape pre-conceived notions of what art is supposed to be and how to create it; but rather allowed me to experience it, let in evolve and experiment freely. I think any successful entrepreneur would acknowledge that often formal education or training gets in the way by narrowing what is possible and limiting creativity. In a similar vein, my journey has allowed my art to be increasingly recognized to a wider audience. Stay tuned, I appreciate your visit and patronage to my work.
60 x 24 inches, 2 panels