EXPLORING TRENDS IN MY WORK: FRIENDS & FAMILY

As an artist, I’m often asked what inspires me. How do I decide what I’m going to create, choose my subject or determine the color palette?

To be perfectly honest, my inspiration changes piece-to-piece and collection-to-collection – I think that’s part of what keeps art interesting. That being said, whenever I create more of a portrait-style collection, I almost always draw inspiration from my family and friends. It’s easy to be inspired by them – they’re all so interesting and cool in their own unique ways. I like the challenge of trying to capture their complexity and nuances in my work – whether it’s a mood, personality trait or overall depth of their character.

Although I’m generally a more private person, it’s nice to be able to share a glimpse into my personal life through the faces in my work. And while strangers don’t necessarily know the subjects in my art personally, I do my best to weave in certain elements that everyone can relate to in their own way. I love hearing the different interpretations of my work because it shows that there are common threads that connect us all in different ways. 

I also think that when it comes to portraits, there’s something pretty universal about wanting to piece together the subject’s story – especially when you know nothing about them. The colors, textures, and other elements in the art will resonate with each person a little differently, so the meaning behind the piece will change depending on who’s viewing it – filling in any gaps with their own experiences.

I’ve often said that my work is usually rooted in the intention of lightheartedness, fun, brightness, expression, etc. The family and friends closest to me are a constant source of this in my daily life, so it’s no surprise that they’ve inspired so much of my work over the years – and will continue to in the future!