Birmingham, AL

Mixed Media

My life is art, always has been. That%u2019s about as plain and simple as I can put it. I cannot go a day without thinking of some way to convey what I%u2019m feeling to the world.

The style I have planted myself in is based in humor. I don%u2019t want to imagine a world without it, walking every day on eggshells in a society where you%u2019re not normal if a hair is out of place, or you waist isn%u2019t this size, or the papers aren%u2019t filed this way. Tension so tight, if you barely touch it, it%u2019ll pop. Lighten up. Inject honest and fun. That%u2019s what I say.

I won lots of contests growing up, including the prestigious Congressional Art Award. I attended one of the best schools in the country, Maryland Institute, College of Art, and was given multiple scholarships to do so. I%u2019ve had work in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, I%u2019ve studied art in three different countries, and I%u2019ve exhibited in just as many. I%u2019ve had two children%u2019s books published. But none of that means anything if my next piece of art doesn%u2019t make someone glad to be alive.

I work primarily in acrylics now, but some pieces will have a mix of watercolor and acrylic. I%u2019ll use references from photos to research and do sketches for my final painting, or I%u2019ll just work straight from my head. I%u2019ll take my final sketch and put it on my light box and trace it onto a sheet of watercolor paper, then staple it to a board. Then I%u2019ll paint a raw sienna wash because it helps me see the final colors better.