I was young, maybe nine years old, when I first visited the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana. Immediately upon entering I perceived I had entered some venerable space. I had never been to an art museum before, not that I could recall, and the milieu of this one captured me instantly. The carefully choreographed paths of light, the… Read more →
It was late in the afternoon on a brisk February day in Lander, Wyoming, and my hands were full of art supplies. I stood at the door of Sweetwater Studio, looking at the antler-shaped handle, a collapsible easel in my left hand, a portfolio heavy with drawing paper in my right. A full-to-the-brim messenger bag was slung over my shoulder.… Read more →
Inevitably someone always asks, “what kind of artist are you?” I find this a difficult question to answer. More precisely, I find it difficult to discern the kind of answer the person is looking to hear. Most people, when asking a question of that sort, are actually asking, “what subject matter do you focus on?” or “what medium do you… Read more →
Recently I visited the studio of an established bronze sculptor. After admiring his work and personal collection of art, I asked if he had any pro-tips for an emerging artist. He thought for a brief moment and chuckled. “You should become a plumber,” he told me with a grin. “People always need a plumber.” He chuckled again. Nobody cares about… Read more →
The following is an excerpt from an invitation-only exclusive art talk and exhibition preview event from December 6, 2018. I discuss, among other things, the inspiration behind my upcoming show on January 11, 2019, entitled ‘Virgin Land: Myths & Narratives‘. Tonight I’m here to talk to you about narrative, about how it affects the course of our lives and why… Read more →
Virgin Land: Myths & Narratives is an exploration of the mythological canon of the American West. The title reflects a mindset that helped fuel westward expansion, an image that depicted a vast territory teeming with unclaimed resources ripe for the taking — a veritable Eden-like wilderness ready to be conquered and brought to heel. It was the land itself that… Read more →
The following article was originally published in the Lander Art Center‘s Fall 2018 newsletter featuring my status as the new Artist in Residence. While my background is certainly eclectic (I’ve designed costumes for the stage, created 3D models for hydraulics engineers and researchers, produced concept art for video games, inked comics, designed posters, and pitched an original animated series to… Read more →
Imagine for the moment you’ve just taken your seat in a packed stadium, about to see your favorite band perform live alongside thousands of other excited fans. Or imagine you’re at the Louvre and you just entered the room displaying the Mona Lisa — feel that electric energy pulsing out from the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd? Or maybe you’re watching a rendition… Read more →
The Greater Sage-Grouse are upland birds unique to North America, known for their elaborate mating dances and entirely dependent on sagebrush for survival. Due to the “loss and fragmentation” of its sagebrush habitat the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined in 2010 that the greater sage-grouse was warranted for protection under the Endangered Species Act. The sagebrush ecosystem supports a… Read more →
The eye, the organ by which the world is seen, has long held an elevated place in collective mythology. Recall the eye of Horus, commonly represented with a spiraling line below it like that of a hawk, who soars above all and sees all. In some spiritual traditions such as Hinduism, the eye (known also as the third-eye) represents the… Read more →