SOMEWHERE BETWEEN peace and chaos

       “This world has already been drawn enough, you should try drawing your own.”- Mr. Lane.

It’s not everyday that we get to hear something that ignites our passions, especially from our middle school teacher. He believed that art was not only about creating the commodities that we surround ourselves, but it's also about having the capacity to understand how they come together within our minds.  Ever since his passing, I’ve spent a lot of time creating my “world” by experimenting with different styles, mediums, and ideas. Throughout the years I’ve developed a keen sense for detail, and technical skills for mediums such as graphite and pastel.

       Compiling my portfolio together was quite troublesome due to the fact that the style changes throughout the pieces. So, I decided that each one that I would include would contribute to a composition that would reflect the idea of being Somewhere Between Freedom and Structure. On one end, I chose a few still lifes that I felt captured the essence of texture and technicality. From metallics within the Wine Opener to the cloths details in  Bones and Statues, the detail creates a piece that almost seems touchable. With the help of intense, contrast lighting, my depictions of these objects surpass the average level of realism. Supporting my still lifes are a collection of pieces that illustrate my style of surrealism. I wanted to capture scenes that are metaphorically defining, such as The Eye of the Desert, but also having the same technical skills as the rest of the pieces.

       From all the hours I’ve spent drawing and illustrating, I’ve spent almost twice as much time developing my techniques. Mr. Lane always called me a “control freak”  because I would never get close to watercolor or any free mediums. However, as the years progressed and my days of experimentation became casual, I quickly learned to draw in fluid layers. The process took longer but it helped me create a sense of depth within my drawings. For every layer, there was a new texture being added, accenting that of the previous one. I enjoy watching every mark create something bigger and that’s exactly what I want those who see my artwork to notice. In every one of my pieces there is a message that is hidden behind the bigger picture. Whether it’s behind the background or the foreground, I enjoy leaving an idea to interpret.

       As an artist, sometimes I feel like I’m limited by my own humanity, entrapped by other people’s achievements and works. I know it's merely psychological but sometimes it blocks me. For the majority of the artist out there, it’s all about being the next big thing, but when everyone tries so hard to be different, our ideas just seem to blend together and we are left with the feeling that everything has all been done. As an artist, I want to pull away from that. Instead, I want to dig deeper to what has already been done and tear it apart to find what can’t be seen.

       It's a great big world out here, seven billion minds, all ending in infinite, but all trying to be “different”. I’m not afraid to say that I will travel the ends of mine,  but as an artist,  I am afraid of not being able to leave my mark on this world.