As
an artist, I am most influenced by music—George Harrison, Paul McCartney,
Florence + the Machine and Regina Spektor are among my most influential
musicians. Songs tell a story, as the
singer tells it, I see pictures in my head; the above-mentioned artists paint the
most vivid images for me in my mind’s eye.
After I see the image, it becomes my mission to get it out into the
world. It seems people forget to use
their imagination when they grow up, by letting my mind wander and imagine
while I listen to music, I get into a childlike state of mind. It is my hope that my art will inspire people
to look up the song that inspired the piece and let their minds wander where the
music takes them.
My process, from inception to creation, is
quite lengthy: I start with quick sketches while listening to the song repeatedly,
trying to solidify the picture in my head—colors, details, scale, etc.—then I
sketch it more, over a time span of days, weeks, and months (months being the
more frequent scenario). Eventually, I
start creating the actual piece, but there is a long simmering process in my mind,
as long as it takes to be motivated. My
favorite medium is spray paint, gold especially, I use it anywhere I need a lot
of color I spray paint; I also use watercolor, acrylics, charcoal, graphite
and, now, silk screen. Recently, I have
been researching screen printers for inspiration, but before, I looked to Mary
Cassatt and Edgar Degas for inspiration.
Vibrant colors are my favorite, and vibrant colors are what they do
best, and what I strive to create.