>> MY WORK IS VERY GRAPHIC DRIVEN.

I LOOK AT A LOT OF OLD ADVERTISEMENT POSTERS.

I LIKE TO FOCUS ON SHAPE.

SHAPE DRIVEN SILHOUETTES, STRONG COLORS, OUTLINES, JUST REALLY EMPHASIZING THE SHAPES OF WHATEVER I'M PAINTING.

I COULD ALSO DRAW, BUT IT WAS NEVER ANYTHING THAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE A BIG PART OF MY LIFE OTHER THAN I CAN DRAW.

I GOT A DEGREE IN FINANCE.

I WORKED IN BANKING FOR A LITTLE BIT.

WHEN I FIRST LEFT THE BANK I WORKED AS A BUTCHER AND ON A FARM.

AND DURING THAT TIME, I STARTED TO TAKE SOME FINE ART CLASSES AT CLEVELAND STATE AND KENT STATE.

THEN COVID HAPPENED.

I GOT LAID OFF FROM MY BUTCHERING JOB.

IT WAS BETWEEN THE THOUGHT OF I CAN FIGURE OUT JUST FINDING A DIFFERENT JOB.

A FRIEND OF MINE HAD MOVED OUT TO CALIFORNIA.

ORANGE COUNTY AREA.

COSTA MESA.

NEAR LAGUNA BEACH, COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN.

I HAD BEEN BUILDING THIS PORTFOLIO OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS WITH CLEVELAND STATE AND KENT STATE, SO I APPLIED THERE.

I GOT A DECENT SCHOLARSHIP SO I DECIDED TO GO TO THAT SCHOOL.

I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE NEXT STEP IS IN TERMS OF CAREER AND THIS WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF MY LIFE.

I'M NEVER NOT GOING TO PAINT.

THERE ARE PAINTINGS THAT I LOOK AND THAT ARE NARRATIVE DRIVEN THAT ARE DONE REALLY WELL, BUT I CARE MORE SO ABOUT THE DESIGN WORK AND HOW THEY'RE PAINTING AS OPPOSED TO WHATEVER SORT OF MESSAGE THEY'RE TRYING TO CONVEY.

I STARTED TO DO THESE SOFT BOILED EGG PAINTINGS, AND I SHOWED THESE TO MY UNCLE.

MY GRANDFATHER USED TO EAT ONE OF THESE EVERY MORNING, YOU KNOW, AND I STARTED TO PAINT SOME PASTA SHAPES.

SOMEBODY CAN BE LIKE, OH, I REMEMBER THAT FROM WHENEVER.

THERE'S SOME DAYS WHERE I DON'T WANT TO DO IT, BUT I ENJOY IT MORE SO THAN GET FRUSTRATED WITH IT, WHICH IS WHY I CONTINUE TO DO IT.

BUT, I MEAN, IT'S HARD.

WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO -- WHAT ATTRACTS --I GUESS I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE THINGS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM ON A DEEPER LEVEL THAN JUST LIKE I ENJOYED THAT.

THE ROMANTIC IDEA OF LIKE BEING AN ARTIST IS WHAT DROVE ME TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL FOR IT.

AND NOW, I'M KIND OF STRUGGLING WITH THE IDEA OF PRACTICALITY AND HOW MUCH I WANT TO DEDICATE TO THIS.

YES, I ENJOY IT.

YES I LIKE HAVING NICE THINGS AROUND MY APARTMENT TO LOOK AT.

AND I GUESS WHAT DRIVES ME TO MAKE MORE PAINTINGS IS I DON'T SEE THINGS LIKE OH, THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO PAINT.

IT'S STILL INTERESTING.

IT'S INTERESTING TO DO.

IT'S INTERESTING TO THINK OF THINGS IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

LIKE SEEING A SHAPE, OH, THAT SHAPE'S FUN.

I SHOULD PAINT THAT.

SO, YEAH, I GUESS THAT DRIVE HASN'T STOPPED YET, EVEN THOUGH SOME DAYS LIKE I DON'T GO AND PAINT AND I DO OTHER THINGS, YOU KNOW.

WILL IT STOP?

MAYBE.

IT MIGHT.

I DON'T KNOW.