I have always felt a strong connection with the ocean though growing up in rural Pennsylvania, it was always far away and intangible. It wasn’t until I took time off from college to travel to Australia that I was finally able realize my dream of living by the sea and learning to surf. When I returned home to Pennsylvania, I resumed college and even went on to law school in Washington D.C., but I couldn’t resist the draw of the ocean and surfing for long. Realizing I had to make it a part of my life, I decided to move to California in 2005.
I began painting in my last semester of college. However, it was only until a few years later, when my friends started getting married and I started needing to buy wedding presents, that my artistic endeavors really took hold. One painting led to another and soon my marrying friends all came to expect one of my paintings as a gift. Having painted everything from animals to musicians for other people, I recently decided to direct my artistic focus to what I truly love: the ocean and surfing. I painted my first wave in 2011 and, since that time, have relied on the energy and inspiration gained from the sea to create my art.
This artistic style you see has been developed through problem solving and experimentation. I’m constantly trying different mediums and techniques–most recently carving and painting wood. Searching for a way to paint thin enough to incorporate the natural grain without sacrificing depth and texture, I discovered the possibility to achieve both by first carving into the wood. This breakthrough led to the discovery of other techniques that focus on three dimensions to create natural shadows and highlights. The resulting works of art are realistic yet surreal, invoking both memories and dreams of the ocean and surfing.
