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| I was born and raised in a small rural community in Western New York. It was a blue collar household and community that believed in the value of hard work. It is this blue collar mentality that I apply to my work. From a young age I spent a great deal of time using my God given gift of imagination to create my own world through my drawing, painting, and writing. Most people want to know how I come up with the ideas that appear in the my Art. They also comment on my use of color. As far as the color work goes it is something that I've worked hard at for many years. This work was done through trial and error, taking color theory courses, studying Art history, and spending many hours studying first hand the works of painters such as Matise, Monet, Degas, van Gogh. Also the comic work of Jack Davis (Tales From The Crypt) and the album/t-shirt work of Pushead. Also I draw a lot of influence from the natural world around me. Although I am not a pastoral painter I always learn something from my time in the wilderness about color. The genesis of my ideas is harder to define. I've never tried to make Art that looks like someone else's work. For whatever reason I've been drawn to the supernatural, the bizarre creatures of mythology and folklore. When I was a teen I began my steady diet of horror films and books. From Poe and Shelley to Lovecraft and Carpenter. While attending both Jamestown Community College and Buffalo State College I was drawn to the Surrealist movement. I also became a fan of Hieronymous Bosch and Albert Durer. As a Christian I have also drawn influence from various parts of the Holy Bible (see my paiintings/drawings: Valley of the Shadow of Death, Grace, and Fear No Evil). More often then not though the Visions and ideas simply seep into my mind and are put to paper. The product of being a devotee to the bizarre and the sublime. Today I like the work of numerous Artists that work in the Outsider/Outlaw genre such as Big Daddy Roth, Robin Williams, R. Crumb, Coop, and others. My good friend and fellow Artist Deanna Davoli continues to influence and inspire me with her work and her approach to making Art. My friend George Silliman is also a personal favorite who's vision of zombies and other undead creatures sparks my imagination. Today, I live in my adopted home of Colorado. |