I am an artist, herbalist and teacher, and once was a preacher. Perhaps too melancholy for the cloth, although believing in a higher power, I still wanted to make a difference. Being hopelessly idealistic, I somehow became a high school teacher; however, my meticulous and artistic nature eventually led me to discovering oil painting. Once I began experimenting with this medium, several years ago, my ability took off beyond my wildest expectations. I'm sure it is because of the forgiving nature of oil paints: I work the image, over and over, until I have exactly what I want and do not give up until it is perfect.
I love to capture beauty amidst gloom and emphasize the detail of the eyes. To me, eyes are the most powerful portion of the face, tell-tale of every motive, yet all-encompassing when gazing into. Beautiful, yet beyond intimidating, gripping the attention of the beholder and revealing the essence of the being; thus, the eyes are a true element of the nature within, something to respect and never violate.
How I began:
I have painted for most of my life, starting around middle school (if you don't count finger paints and splotches with tempera)... However, I didn't start with oils until much later although everything about my personality fit the medium and the style. It's funny, the personality traits that I've always been ostracized for (meticulous, melancholy, driven, exacting, thorough, analytical and focusing on deep things first) all are needed to paint the way I do. Yet my thoughts are not dominated by visual or auditory (despite having strengths in both) I think primarily by feeling, each thought has it's own distinct essence or tactile feeling, they merge like nebulous clouds placing me in a continual state of synthesis, which is how I learn best. Perhaps that is how the universe is, it's all about its essence and not what we name or label it, accepting things just as they are. It's amazing that the very things about us that we think may be a curse, because they are not homogenous, when redirected: can be our greatest blessings.
Philosophy:
True genius is to make the most profound things simple. The universe itself is that genius and so is the ability to perceive it, as is the case for humanity, who typically takes it for granted and freely discards. The greatest statement of genius is that of the higher power saying that his name is his existence, simply: He is. There is no need for anything greater, yet appearing so simple that its magnitude is overlooked without deep contemplation.
The nature of the universe is motion. As the result, the fabric of the universe is likewise, in the form of wavelengths (or even sub particle quantum strings). The universe is truly the greatest paradox, in that all things are made from what we perceive as "nothing;" yet, through the "stirring" of space/time, everything exists as we perceive it, and everything shall return to "nothing." "He spoke and it was" suddenly doesn't sound as difficult to perceive anymore; therefore, whoever develops the ability to manipulate the stings, will have nothing beyond his/her reach. The debate between science and religion doesn't exist outside of man's interpretation, which screams of an underlying motive to dominate above truth; thereby, cheapening all disciplines. In essence, science and religion are complimentary: it's our interpretations that are not. Why is there a need to debate, when nobody has all the facts yet? To argue is to entrench both sides in fallacy.
Years of professional work:
2004-2005 were the years of transition, I made the switch from water colors and acrylics to oil paints for the first time. People used to discourage me from painting in oils and I made the mistake of listening. However my years of water color work prepared me for my techniques in using oils. I loathed myself working with acrylics although I did get results, too bad nobody ever told me about floating medium. I used to spend hours just creating a smooth acrylic wash between two colors; however, all of this presumed wasted time, incidentally trained me for my work today. The transition to oils was automatic as if I had always worked with it. It was a perfect fit and it enabled me to create what I saw in my mind as it didn't dry before I wasn't finished painting all the details. The learning curve was, and still is, sharp. For me it has always been: paint according to what seems right instinctively.
2006 was my year of final skills preparation for my portrait work, hence most of the practice works in the Beautiful Faces Collection. I refused to accept portrait commissions until I knew my technique was perfect. Symmetry in beauty is perhaps one of the most difficult techniques to master, and it became a cornerstone of my skills development in this area. This was the last year that I included the year painted under my signature, all of my works after 2006 have the year written on the back.
2007 was the year where I accepting commissions for painting portraits, mostly with painting family heirlooms. It was also the year I began most of my current collections: Expressions, Cherubs and Surrealistic Visions collections. Everything was and still is developing years ahead of my initial plans, sometimes things just fit together greater than your wildest imagination, when it's simply meant to be.
2008 has been quite interesting, between some of my Surrealist works being published and the Featured Faces that I am painting. I plan to create new collections later in the year, one of which will involve the celebrities I've featured, in whom I'm grateful to, for their wonderful level of cooperation.
In the meantime, I am going to let my personal style lead me to wherever it shall go and always put forth my personal best, driven to continual improvement or I am left empty and with overwhelming despair.
I have only begun my work in this world...
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