About

I specialize in photorealistic portraits and art that explores themes of conservation and the beauty of the natural world.

I grew up in Pasadena, California, where I spent most of my free time learning to draw by copying pictures of animals, people, and my favorite characters over and over. This led to an early interest in photorealism and the development of the detail-oriented style which characterizes a lot of my work.

After graduating high school I continued to study art independently while splitting my time between the US and Mexico before moving back to the states permanently in 2006. I finished my degree in Liberal Arts from California State University, Los Angeles in 2008, and a few years later relocated with my family to the California High Desert where I started participating in local art fairs and working as a portrait artist. 

My work over the years mirrors my eclectic list of interests and influences and spans a variety of subject matter including photorealistic portraits, animals and nature, fan art from my favorite stories, and original illustrations.

My current work centers on raising awareness around the environmental crisis we’re facing, especially the rapid loss of species and their habitats we’re seeing around the world, and reminding people that life is fragile. Through my work I’m proud to offer support to the organizations and individuals who are working towards solutions that focus on not only stopping but reversing the damage that’s being done. They give me hope for the future, and inspire me to continue to document the beauty of life on this planet.

My Artistic Process

When I first started drawing, my main goal was to recreate what I saw as exactly as possible. To achieve the level of detail I was after, I developed a process that involves etching parts of the drawing onto paper using a metal stylus before applying any medium. The etchings stand out when color or shading is added, preserving tiny details and highlights.

This works especially well with a method of colored pencil “painting” I use where mineral spirits are applied to blend colors. For years most of my work was made using a combination of these techniques.

More recently my process has adapted to include digital drawing software like Procreate and Clip Studio Paint. These programs let me create more freely than I can on paper, trying different approaches and manipulating color and lighting without fear of ruining the whole piece. This is a constant worry when I use traditional mediums, and it would often keep me from deviating from my usual process.

Exploring the possibilities of digital art quickly became a new source of inspiration. It also brought me to a point where I began to feel limited by my exclusive focus on photorealism.

It was during this time that I became really interested in the relationship between art and story. Wanting to understand what makes visual storytelling methods so effective, I began studying the subjects of character design, animation, concept art and illustration. This, combined with the freedom of expression I found with digital art, has led to more experimentation with different art styles in recent years.

While my main focus is still photorealism, I no longer feel limited to creating only what I see with my eyes, instead focusing more on what method is best for capturing the story I want to tell and allowing room for creative detours.

Through this process I’ve come to appreciate in a deeper way one of the reasons art is such a compelling storyteller–it invites the viewer to see the world through another’s eyes, but at the same time gives space to interpret and experience what they see on their own terms. 

Knowing that no two people will see a picture in exactly the same way is part of the magic, and why one of my favorite parts of making art is sharing it. Learning what different viewers connect with gives me a glimpse into their world as I invite them into mine. It also inspires me to keep looking for the stories still waiting to be told.