2024 / 11 x 14 / metallic watercolor, gel pen, graphite on black Crescent board / matted + framed
Gifted to the most ultra-fabulous couple in Chicagoland on their 5th anniversary.
2023 / 16 x 20 / Metallic watercolor and pen on black Canson illustration board
Abstract metallic bubbles form a composition derived from dream state, representative of a Monstera leaf. The bubble shapes resemble fragments or cellular makeup of the leaf, as if it has been shattered then reconstructed to form a whole. The gel pen bubble outlines and about half of the filled in shapes were created during a live art session for Dream Market Chicago at the Hotel Intercontinental in Chicago, IL. The remaining shapes were completed in my home studio.
2022 / 10 x 8 / Oil on canvas board
This abstract work was a gift to a longtime friend from my studies at Syracuse University. it is based on a Clifford Still piece in the Art Institute of Chicago. Seemingly torn up edges show the fragility and fragmented realities of the human psyche.
2022 / 12 x 12 / Oil on canvas
This was just gifted to my dearest friend from Syracuse University of 27 years, as gratitude for, well, everything. In times of darkness where we may only see absence of light, it’s possible to look beyond into the unknown and find particles of hope in who we are and strive to become.
2022 / 16 x 20 / Metallic watercolor and pen on black Canson illustration board
Abstract metallic bubbles form a composition derived from dream state, representative of a hybrid black bear and grizzly bear claw.
2022 / 20 x 20 / Oil on canvas
This piece is modeled after the original oil on canvas painting by Wassily Kandinsky.
A great cosmic order is formed by precisely placed circles in the original. These shapes become amorphous in my version, turning the notion of universal precision on its head. Nothing is exact in the chaos of life, not even a perfect circle.
2022 / 24 x 30 / Oil on canvas
Created for the show "A Retro-ish-Spective" in June 2022, this piece is modeled after the original 1925 oil on canvas painting by Joan Miro.
He said it acts as "'a sort of genesis'—the amorphous beginnings of life". I relate to it in the layers with which it was created. A base subconscious blending of color, followed by the deliberate solidification of a creative idea into tangible form.
2023 / 16 x 20 / Metallic watercolor and pen on black Canson illustration board
Abstract metallic bubbles form a composition derived from dream state, representative of a teardrop. The bubble shapes resemble fragments or cellular makeup of the liquid object, as if it has been shattered then reconstructed to form a whole.
2022 / 20 x 16 / Oil on canvas
Created for the show "A Retro-ish Perspective" in June 2022, this piece is modeled after the original 1932 mixed media painting by Paul Klee. The title refers to death's embrace and how eventually it comes for us all.
I took liberties in my version to bring in a pop of color and extra depth to the background.
2021 / 24 x 36 / metallic oil and Swarovski crystals on canvas
Exhibited at the 11th Annual Juried Competition - Bridgeport Arts Center, Chicago IL.
Abstract metallic bubbles form a composition derived from dream state, representative of a pendulum. The shapes resemble fragments of the gemstone, as if it has been shattered then reconstructed to form a whole.
2021 / 16 x 20 / India ink marker and metallic watercolor on black Canson illustration board
Abstract metallic bubbles form a composition derived from dream state, representative of a diamond.
2021 / 11 x 14 / metallic oil and Swarovski crystal rhinestones on canvas
Harnessing the properties and psychological benefits of crystals is at the core of my spiritual practice. In this piece I wanted to abstract a clear quartz point into multicolored facets that refract into the colors of the spectrum when light shines through the crystal. The overall background draws cues from midcentury modernism; the gold orb signifies the sun as light source. Swarovski crystals accentuate the quartz's terminal points, reinforcing the overall diamond shape's structure. Created during and as a direct result of a metaphysical trip on LSD.
2021 / 11 x 14 / metallic oil on black gessoed canvas
Abstract metallic bubbles form a composition derived from dream state, representative of a decanter.
2021 / 9 x 12 / metallic watercolor and pen on cold press Stonehenge
Abstract metallic bubbles form a composition derived from dream state, representative of a chromosome.
2021 / 9 x 12 / metallic watercolor and pen on cold press Stonehenge
Abstract metallic bubbles form a composition derived from dream state, representative of an hourglass.
2021 / 16 x 20 / Oil on self-primed canvas
Metallic and glossy abstract objects intersect to form a composition derived from the subconscious. The three upward strokes symbolize the fraying of our own identities (past, present and future) as the contexts of our lives shift.
2021 / 9 x 11.75 / Metallic watercolor on Stonehenge paper
Metallic watercolors form abstract objects intersecting to create a composition derived from the subconscious. Framed.
This piece is used as the main graphic element for the cover of “Superior Lies” by J.L. Steinmetz, out through Kindle Direct Publishing as an eBook and paperback in 2022.
2020 / 8 x 10 / oil and metal paint on canvas paper
Created for my show on 2/20/20 at Baby Atlas in Chicago, this piece sold immediately to a friend. I have been compelled to create these “underwater machine systems” as the exhibit host described it. They are a great way to play with composition and color palette.
2019 / 24 x 30 / Oil and metallic paint on canvas
This composition of organic overlapping shapes features metallic silver paint. The colorway is based off the Instagram account @colorpalette.cinema’s interpretation of the last scene in the movie, “Fight Club”.
2019 / 20 x 24 / Oil on canvas
Created using a contemporary palette derived from midcentury modernism, a curve of gold metallic bubble-shaped accents lends movement to the core composition's overlapping abstract shapes. A gradient background achieves a dynamic layered effect. Made for a pop-up gallery show hosted by FLATSstudio, this abstract piece elaborates on the design of “Waves”, exploring different colorways and shapes.
2019 / 8 x 10 / Oil and graphite on canvas paper
Created in a mid-century modern palette, a pop of metallic silver paint and added graphite swirling strokes give this small abstract piece depth. The graphite was used in an inspirational way after Giacometti's paintings.
2019 / 9 x 12 / Oil and metallic paint on canvas paper
This was a stream-of-consciousness work completed in 1 sitting, and my first attempt at a new abstract style.
2021 / 6 x 9 / metallic watercolor on Bristol
Abstract metallic and black bubbles form a composition derived from dream state.
2021 / 6 x 9 / metallic watercolor on Bristol
Abstract metallic and red bubbles form a composition derived from dream state.
2021 / 8 x 6 / metallic watercolor and graphite on paper
Abstract metallic bubbles form a composition derived from dream state, representative of an funnel.
2019 / 5 x 7 / Watercolor and metallic marker on paper
Created for a pop-up gallery show hosted by FLATSstudio, this abstract piece resembles a comp created for “Growth”.
2019 / 24 x 24” / Oil on board
Commissioned by a renowned Chicago DJ and his wife for their daughter’s nursery, this abstract work was created based on several watercolor comps. The goal was to pick up colors and shapes used to decorate the room with a warm, dynamic feel.
2019 / 9.4 x 12.6 / Oil on canvas paper
An experiment with sample brush strokes and composition.
2019 / 9.4 x 12.6 / Oil on canvas paper
An experiment with sample brush strokes and composition. My father thought it looked like a city with lights flickering in each tower. Originally destined for the trash, I have decided to make print editions based on his interpretation.
2020 / 24 x 30 / oil and Swarovski crystals on canvas
In late 2019 I was drawing at Kite String Cantina and approached by a lovely lady requesting a commission to gift her husband for their upcoming wedding. They had their 1st date at Kite underneath where Dr. Spaceman 1 hangs, so she wanted the same design but reflecting their story and personalities. The 2 large stars represent the happy couple, and the smaller third their newborn son.
2019 / 24 x 30 / Oil on canvas
Collaborating once more with the owners of Kite String Cantina, I developed a concept for their second commission. Under the phases of a beet chip moon, an astronaut loses his 3D kites into the nebula beyond. One of them said it looks like a seance or ritual; the other, like a metal album cover.
2018 / 24 x 30 / Oil and Swarovski crystals on canvas
As the bar/restaurant Kite String Cantina was preparing to open in April 2018 in Chicago’s Roscoe Village neighborhood, I was commissioned to create a painting that reacted to preliminary branding. This work was a long-distance collaboration between myself and @roughbits who created original line work that was enlarged then enhanced with Swarovski crystals. The painting currently hangs at the bar.
