Dream #24

Dream #24

View it here 

Dream #25

Oil On Canvas

20" x 30" x 1.5"

This painting was painted via a reference photo I took at the birdseed fashion smash benefit show. This is a portrait of Steffany Cook. The original photo is below. I am proud of my photography; I use a Canon 60d with a prime lens to literally take shots in the dark.

A few changes in the final painting meant it was ready for viewing. Though something didn't feel right. The background was to bright. So I changed it. I started adding a dark green background to the painting, letting the figure pop. I couldn't stop myself as I continued to add classical ships, and impressionist lighting. This came natural, as most of my work is very organic.

After letting the piece dry, it was finally ready for viewing, and honestly one of my best works. I enjoy the ships in the background, and the way the lighting feels like a classical painting.

Darth Vader, Christ, and The Rubble of the World Trade

This being my most popular work, (for explainable reasons). People often ask me "what does it mean". This painting was based off an idea I had where Darwin is putting Christ to rest on a pile of bones. The conceptualization was too obvious. Not dynamic, boring, so I switched Darwin to Darth Vader. 

The relationship between Jesus, and Darth Vader is a messianic one. Both are prophets with similar aspects; virgin births, self-sacrifice, magical powers. The world trade centers are a result of religious fervor, and the interpretations of the Prophet Muhammed. All Prophetic cultural reactions; synthesized historico interpretations of Christ, represented at vastly different periods of time. To me this piece represents the battle between good and evil, in a way that accepts that they may be one and the same thing.

Inspiration for Oil Painting

The day we broke up, I quit my job and dropped out of school. I began devoting my life twoards painting. You don't need an education to understand art. What ultimately matters, is not the bio, not the education, not the pricetag. What matters is the art.​

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The Anemone, is a wild flower, found in the middle east. The flower is often confused with the poppy. It fits as a symbolic critique of religion and love. Anemos is Greek for wind, which represents change. Anemones are associated with legends of despair, death, and disease. When Aphrodite’s lover, Adonis died. It is said that the anemone burst through his heart, as her tears touched his body. The flower is said to have been at the feet of Jesus's cross when he was crucified. In China it represents death. In Europe it represents disease. It is The beautiful dissipation of hope. ​​