Statement
My artwork is a reflection of the mountains and valleys that one must walk when placed in the shoes of a queer person. Through unrealistic imagery, scenarios, and characters, I capture imagery that cannot be adequately portrayed through the realistic lens of mundane life, using digital painting, photo editing, and traditional drawing and painting skills to create impressive and stunning images. My audience is both queer and not-queer; the queer audience I cater to is meant to see my struggle as a reflection of their own, but the non-queer audience is meant to hopefully empathize with something that words could not convince them to imagine.
Because my education was built on the use of digital media, my body of work reflects that; many of my pieces take the form of what many might consider to be “practical design” over fine art. I have spent a lot of time and effort internalizing the advanced techniques available to photoshop users, that most often don't find uses for. For example, use of the liquify filter to reorganize a piece even after it's been compressed to a single layer, or using the paint daubs filter to force myself to push a piece even further than it would've otherwise gone. I find that the beautification of practical things is where art finds its roots. Art began with the paintings on the walls of the cave to make the darkness a bit less bleak. I desire to work in the concept art field, and my work has been targeted towards that goal.
