I frequently get questions from students and others who have recently come across my work, so I’m going to try to answer some of those FAQs here.

All of my paintings are done in acrylics on wood panels. I like the hard surface of the panels, and I use multiple thin layers of paint to build up my images. I use a combination of Golden and Liquitex acrylic paints. Why yes, I do use very tiny brushes! My go-to brushes are Princeton Select Short Liners and Rounds, which I buy in bulk. I’m hard on my brushes and they don’t retain their necessary precise points for long. I can spend anywhere from three weeks to three months on a single painting, depending on size and detail.

My ideas are often science-inspired, but with a surreal twist. I may read or hear about a scientific or environmental phenomenon and it provides a kernel of inspiration which can lead to a painting or an entire series. I use the black background to create the drama of the spotlight on my chosen subject. It singles them out, exposes their every tiny detail, and creates a void of the unknown around them. In that way, each piece becomes an intimate portrait. I think of the animals in my paintings as simultaneously representing the natural world and also reflecting our own human struggle and emotion. I like to draw parallels between the two.

I drew and painted from a very young age. I took my first art class when I was five. I studied art at Yale University as an undergraduate, and now live and work in Portland, Oregon.

If you want to read more, I’ve had features of my work in print in Hi-Fructose Magazine and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine. I was also interviewed as the featured artist for the 2018 Bioneers Conference, and also by Sour Harvest for Thinkspace Gallery

You can also find write-ups of my various shows on
WOW x WOW
Booooooom
Colossal
Arrested Motion
Supersonic
Colossal again
Hi-Fructose