About My Artwork
So, why am I doing this again?
Art and nature are good for my soul. I make art because it's meditative, a study of consciousness and a lifelong endeavor that I'll never be too old to keep doing. Plein air painting allows me to connect intimately with the environment, appreciating its intricacies and capturing its beauty. Exploring unfamiliar places through plein air painting caters to my sense of adventure, while enhancing my appreciation for the natural world.
My Backstory TL;DR
I grew up in Ashland, Oregon, surrounded by art and many local Ashland artists. Although everyday life was filled with mini-family critiques of works in progress at the dinner table, I experienced firsthand the economic challenges of being an artist. When I was seventeen, I left home to go to college at Oregon State University.
I began my higher education path in mechanical engineering, but found myself depressed and uninspired, really missing more creative projects. I decided to take an art class, a drawing 101 class. It was a much needed mental refuge, and I found that being around other artists was so refreshing.
At the time, technology was starting to find its place post-dot-com-bust. I saw this as an opportunity, to mix art, technology and the human experience together. I ended up graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Art, Graphic Design.
I then got my first job at a local advertising agency. It was a small agency, and allowed me to utilize my design skills, while evolving with fast-moving technology solutions at the time. I took extra time outside of work to learn to code and build websites from scratch.
This led to immersion into the world of software engineering, and working with teams of service and product engineers to develop technology for e-commerce. I grew my skillset, and continue to build and design solutions as my full-time job. I've also published online courses on Pluralsight, a technology skills plaform, sharing my domain knowledge with the world - which has been both amazing and rewarding.
Enter the Pandemic...
The pandemic was a great re-evaluation of the life 'status quo'. The pandemic kept me busy - perhaps too busy - and completely burned out. I was looking for a mental break, something creative that allowed for more creative freedom. Deep down, I always wanted to learn to paint.
With the reevaluation of life as it is during the pandemic, I decided to try. I ended up loving it, loving the learning process, loving plein air painting and the artist community. It's part of a healthier work-life balance that I truly hope everyone can find. I welcomed making art as a daily practice into my life, and will make art until I can't.