The Skinny Dippers
ink on cheese cloth
36h x 36w inches

I never trusted the ocean.  Not only because of the dangers underneath, but because of the salt that dried out my eyes and skin. I always preferred to swim in fresh bodies of water.  There are few things more liberating Than the weightless freedom of being fully submerged and the infant-like sensitivity of being naked as a jaybird.

The Grape Stompers
ink on cheese cloth
25h x 25w inches

There’s this story of a man who hates his life and wishes to be reborn as a painter on a tropical island. He meets a beautiful free spirit who teaches him the joy of living again. They go up to the mountains where they dance on grapes and indulge in bohemian festivities. Drinking wine and eating forbidden fruit from the garden of Eden. 

Junkyard Romance
ink & photograph on cheese cloth
31h x 30w inches

Walking down an old railroad track. There hasn't been a train running in years. Continue following the tracks when it leads to a graveyard of outdated motor vehicles.  Looks like a great spot to shoot the shit.

Farmer’s Market
ink on canvas
34h x 30w inches

They say you need to wash your food before you eat it. I like to see the dirt and imperfections.  When I was younger we had an apple tree that I could pick right off the vine and eat.  Now everything I eat looks picturesque. Probably from all the insecticides and hormones. 

Peacock Room
ink on cheese cloth
25h x 21w inches

My grandmother had a peacock in her living room that stood on all fours. I knew that room my whole life and It had many stories with many beautiful objects.  She actually had a knight in armor by the door leading upstairs. After a while she became that bird on the chair and the art on the walls.

Microscopic
ink on canvas
21h x 20w inches

I believe in a singularity. The more I think about the universe the smaller I feel. 

Staircase
ink on canvas
30h x 30w inches

Buildings are not just inanimate objects. They hold onto the past and inherit their memories. Whenever I walk up a case of old stairs I wonder how many people before me have stepped in my step and held the same handrail.

Piney River
ink on canvas
35 x 35 inches
SOLD

In the backwoods of Missouri there used to be a cabin off the banks of Piney River. A tradition every summer: a shotgun shack with a stone porch and tin roofing. Like the pioneers, we would sail with inflatable tubes down the long winding river, spilling beer and screaming all the way to Shanghai Spring.

Mike’s Practical Joke
ink on cloth
21h x 20w inches

Michael Piquette was a friend I only knew for a short time. When he passed away, we held a wake in his honor. We wrote letters to his mother and father and placed them on a shrine above the fireplace. Sage was lit and we passed it around the room. As the night progressed into a celebration, the candles melted and lit the letters; setting the wall on fire.

I swore I could hear Mike laughing from somewhere not far away.

Musical Chairs
ink on cheese cloth
25h x 25w inches

A combination of two reoccurring experiences.  As a youth, participation in catechism class required us to play musical chairs. The winner would normally win a cake of some sort. As an adult, sharing an evening with friends becomes controversial when several or more opinions begin taking over the music system. A game of musical chairs ensues.

Cafe No'Se
ink on cheese cloth
25 x 29 inches

South of El Paso, where time stands still, cantinas and religious relics litter cobblestone streets.  The sound of folk music draws you into a dimly lit room.  Within the small room is an even smaller room with a hidden door tall enough for a child.  Beyond the door, Maximo listens to all your wishes.  Illuminated by mezcal and candles, the room opens into another world and you realize this is the wild west.

Corn Maze
ink on canvas
36h x 38w inches

Growing up in the Midwest I was constantly surrounded by cornfields. I use to get lost in them on purpose. If you weren't careful you could easily cut yourself on the sharp corners of the stalk leaves. As I wandered, I discovered a whole ecosystem of insects and plants colonizing around the soil. When I finally got out, I was often on the opposite side of the field and would have to walk back to find my bicycle.

Hot Spells
ink on canvas
35 x 42 inches

Nightclubs have the capacity to be extremely intimate while simultaneously allowing you to remain completely anonymous.  Whether you come to dance, hook-up or do drugs, the music doesn't really matter.

Do You Even Party Bro?
ink on scarf
21 x 22 inches

Just your typical college frat house party. As long as you bring girls or beer it doesn't really matter who you are. Easily blending into the crowd and the smell of stale beer permeates your nostrils. Observe the hero that gets out of control. The soaking wet carpet and the decorated lawn of bottles and cigarette butts.

Jamboree
ink on cheese cloth
25 x 25 inches

A sunny day in June is a fine excuse to bring beer and musical instruments to a public park.  Even if you’re not very good at the guitar, there is usually a bongo or shaker nearby.  The sounds we make together echo into the months of summer.

Young Darwin
ink on cheese cloth
30 x 31 inches

A very young Charles Darwin takes the HMS Beagle around the coast of South America on a five year journey.  He collects and studies specimens to prove his theory of evolution.  When they land on the shores of the Galapagos, Charles discovers a strange land-fish.

Love Nest
ink on cheese cloth
30 x 29 inches

Overgrown fields of amber grain freckled with flowers of many.  On a perfectly sunny day and the wind is strong but gentle.  There is no one else in sight so don't waste an opportunity.  This could be a great place to stay forever.

Crystals & Shells
ink on canvas
38 x 35 inches

In memory of Gretchen.
She would often speak of the spiritual link within nature and ourselves as an ongoing and unspoken love affair. A symbiosis that is scientifically unproven yet undoubtedly true. There were acres full of broken pots and shells. Like you were in some fictional geographical climate. There is an energy in ourselves that never stops and can only be passed on. You too will one day become the trees and the wind and the sun.

Wild Fire
ink on cheese cloth
31 x 30 inches

It was a very hot day. Dehydrated but full of spirit, they hopped over a fence and walked over several vacant fields. The grass was tall and scratched at their ankles.  They soon found a small creek and followed it all the way to the river.

Freak Easy
ink on cheese cloth
21 x 21 inches

I used to hate sunrises. After a long night on the town the sun is a reminder that one day has ended and another has just begun. There is an exception; the night owls never really stop. As the last party ends, the 7am crowd puts on another special. It is a rare occurrence. Fire breathers, acrobats, music and stimulants. The crowd moves like a living organism. Rolling like the ocean, time really escapes into another day.

Ship Wrecked
ink on cheese cloth
23 x 21 inches

The Adventurers
ink on canvas
28 x 26 inches

Like an inventor of cartography, I spent my childhood exploring the secret corners of my small town. Looking back, our backyard resembled a massive forest. Covered in trees, flowerbeds and a swing set. Even though I was limited to a few square blocks around our home I felt this small slice of the world was infinite.

Kentucky Bats
ink on cloth
25 x 26 inches

Kill or Be Killed
ink on canvas
22 x 21 inches

Man may have invented war, but survival of the fittest is as old as time itself.  It’s not meant to be cruel; but it is balanced. It’s amazing how humans have managed to remove themselves from the food chain.