Artist Statement

The Influent Project is a series of eight paintings displaying influences that have largely impacted my creative journey. Components like subject matter, colors, style of illustration, and jagged shapes are all things that are pulling from influences over the course of my life. The jagged shapes are inspired from comic books. The illustration style was inspired by the technique of woodcut printmaking. The simple colors are meant to represent humble beginnings; only starting with the basic primary and secondary colors. When it comes to the subject matter of each painting, the representation varies. Some paintings are a more direct representation of influence. For example, the cowgirl represents my wife, Annie, and Loyal Abe represents our beloved Great Dane who passed away while making this show. Some of the subject matter is recreated works of art, like Starry Night and The Great Wave of Kanagawa. These represent my adoration towards the artists who made them.

As I worked on the eight paintings that make up this series, it widened my awareness of how many things contributed to my development as a creative person. This show could have included a thousand more paintings. The list of things that influence us daily is astonishing, really: relationships, jobs, education, spirituality; the list could go on and on. As you view this series of work, I encourage you to reflect on the influences that contributed to your own development as a person. Whether or not you consider yourself an artist, how we express ourselves in front of our family, friends, coworkers, or in public settings is a craft in itself. What eight influences would hang on your wall?

Each painting was produced with black gesso and acrylic paint on custom-made canvas. Every step of the process from building canvas frames, stretching canvas, priming, and painting allowed me to look at my creative process from beginning to end and have full control over how things were presented.