Q: I was born in…
A: the windy city of Chicago. When I left several years ago, I also lost the ability to endure anything under 70 degrees.
Q: My earliest art memory is…
A: sitting in a hushed moment on the carpet next to our coffee table, carefully taking out my new, fancy colored pencils one at a time. I looked at each one, took it in, and placed it back in its place with a strange reverence. I must’ve been 7.
Q: Growing up, I realized I wanted to be an artist…
A: not through a dramatic event, but rather through an indescribable and consistent knowing beneath all the noise that I recognized even as a child. It even made me a little nervous, because the world (and most parents) make being an artist feel pretty hard. But apparently it didn’t sway me that much - on an All About Me Poster I found at my parents’ house a few years ago, I saw that in the “When I Grow Up” box, I had drawn a picture of me in front of an easel with a paintbrush in my hand. Underneath were the words “an artist or painter.” I was 8.
Q: My current mentor is…
A: one of my previous professors, and a former curator. He’s the reason I ever started applying to shows. He speaks in one-liners that I remember years later (when he’s not sending me dad jokes).
Q: I feel most inspired when…
A: I get some space from my work. Or if I attend a show. There’s a lifeblood you share with other artists. Shows are one way to tap into it. I keep a pretty consistent work rhythm, but when I get out for some air (whether art-related or not), I come back with a fresh wind and a newness I didn’t know I picked up.
Q: When I feel stuck creatively, I…
A: stop or switch to mundane things like touch-ups, wrapping, or organizing works. If you show up, the work reflects it. If you don’t or can’t, it reflects that, too. I usually work on multiple paintings to keep the momentum, but I don’t force it if I’m hitting a wall.
Q: My favorite artists to follow are…
A: I actually made the decision a while back to follow very few artists to avoid being overly influenced. But my first age-old hero was Cy Twombley, and more recently, Helen Frankenthaler.
Q: I can’t start my day without…
A: making my bed. Maybe that’s assumed, but I do much better when my environment looks taken care of. What I see visually affects my peace.
Q: My most prized art possession is…
A: I guess it’s not a possession, but I have a few old paintings from when I first started that take me back to my spare bedroom in California.
Q: Art is…
A: what’s inside you. A blind and brave path to what only you can see.
