WELCOME

In my sophomore year of high school, I painted a giraffe that I found in a large stack of National Geographic magazines. That giraffe, painted against a vibrant orange sky on a loose strip of canvas, became the stepping stone for every paint stroke thereafter. On that day, I became an artist. 

My medium of choice is Gouache. A water-based paint with a rich and vibrant opacity that brings light and life to each animal I paint. I think it’s easy for people to interpret shadow and light as simply a shade of black and white. I aim to show the explosion of colors in every shift of light and dark, in the folds of scales, in the layers of fur and wisps of feathers. I hope to bring breath to each being I create through these subtleties, showing the beauty that constantly surrounds us but can sometimes go unnoticed or taken for granted. 

Born and raised on the Central Coast of California, I feel fortunate to have been surrounded by beautiful landscapes and an array of wildlife. Bringing these things to life on paper brings me immense joy and fulfillment. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. 

The process & The Materials

Inquiring minds want to know what goes into creating a custom piece. The materials, how I get started, and what inspires me. well, here’s your chance to fulfill those curious brains of yours.

  • My main materials are gouache and acrylic paints, but I love to experiment with other mediums and even make my own paint from found materials.

    I’m very interested in natural pigments. I often collect rocks during river adventures and other outdoor explorations. I aim to find rocks with beautifully saturated colors that I can bring home and process into watercolor paints. I have also made vine charcoal using cuttings from grapevines after they have been pruned and have collected other botanicals to make natural dyes.

    When it comes to surface types, I often work on watercolor paper when I use gouache and on wood when it comes to my large format paintings using acrylic.

  • Flora and fauna. Nature is definitely a calling and is present throughout my entire landscape of work. The choice of subject matter comes from what is native to the area I am focusing on. Often these are critters that are overlooked or people don’t realize are a part of the surrounding habitat.

    For me, I want to take something that is often overlooked and through the representation of color, make people stop and take a deeper appreciation. Color is found everywhere, in the darkest areas (purples, blues) and the brightest areas (yellows, oranges). There is much to appreciate in even the “simplest” creatures. Showing that even a squirrel is not just brown but its fur has complex layers of colors deserves a deeper look.

  • Depending on the subject, I like to acquire reference images for inspiration. These can be images I have taken myself or ones I find when exploring the internet. After gathering the material, I pick and pull from all references and collage everything together to create my own unique vision. I then create digital drawings and composites to mock up what I want the final image to look like. From there I go to my final medium draw it out and begin painting.