I am blessed to call Colorado "home", one of the most beautiful places on earth. This gives me the opportunity for never-ending exploration in Colorado and beyond. Additionally, I believe the outdoors give us healing and renewal in ways beyond what we can imagine. However, not everyone is able to climb and trek where I do, so I love using the creative process to help people experience the power and awe of the wilderness wherever they are.
My work is a combination of my own photography and "heart vision". This is the term I use to describe a combination of a desire for adventure, deep faith and a need to create. Each piece I create begins with these three elements, guiding my explorations and preliminary research with an over-arching goal in mind: to use the Visual Arts to convey to my viewers the glory of God in the beauty of nature. This involves spending days in the wilderness, "chasing the sun and moon" to observe how different views change with the passage of light, and how that affects the mood and message of each place.
After backcountry exploration and photography, I then begin drawing, sketching, and conducting color studies to create the perfect composition for each artwork. Next, I construct my canvas stretchers and hand-stretch each canvas to fit the composition I have created during my studies and drawings. I then prepare the surface of my canvas by alternating priming and sanding. Finally, a grounding medium is added before beginning the artwork.
With the canvas fully prepared, I rely heavily on my background in color theory to mix my paints. Afterwards, I begin building the foundational layers for my piece to create the underpainting. This starts the process of color-blocking each section and building the forms of the subject matter, establishing values, hues and basic details. Once the blocking in is done, I meticulously add in fine details and glazes. Once the painting is dry, I protect the painting with an archival seal clear coat to help preserve the piece, so that my artwork may be enjoyed for generations to come.
My art allows me to capture on canvas the sights and senses of what I see and feel while exploring for everyone to experience the same wonder, joy and renewal. Thus, I create art that combines the technical expertise of contemporary realism with the mood, stories and life lessons that the natural world has to share. All of creation has a story; I seek to give each story a voice in my work.
