In my work, I merge subject matter often considered anathema in “high art” (i.e. sports, tattoo flash, pin-up girls, wildlife) with traditional painting techniques, to challenge conventional notions of art making. That fusing of traditional methodologies with unconventional subject matter mirrors a number of other contradictions in my work: “high art” vs. “low art”, humor vs. sincerity, virtuosity vs. amateurism.

I approach the canvas as if it were a page from a sketchbook, and attempt to capture the informality and freshness of a sketchbook drawing or doodle on a more permanent support. These paintings function as a framework for disparate narrative elements that are in dialogue with each other. I am interested in how meaning is generated by the use of unusual juxtapositions. How does our reading of an elegant barn swallow change when paired with a crudely rendered skull or naked man/woman?

Ultimately, my goal is to make work that is humorous, dark, and beautiful—all at the same time. Aside from all the formal justifications, at the end of the day, I just like to draw skulls, birds, and other imaginary nonsense.