Any time anyone gets lost in the creative process, even if just for a moment, they touch this boundless space of harmony with the universe. When we really get into it, self-consciousness drops away and a creative miracle floods forth.

I can't say I have a singular moment where this harmony impacted a specific piece. I have periods where I'm in my head a lot and judging my art and myself intensely. Other times it flows easily and these harmonious states are abundant. 

Part of my mission with art is to continually work on this balance between the mind and intuitive flow. I intend to continue to learn throughout my life and watch my art practice become unencumbered in its harmony.

Before I started my art pursuit; I was in total personal & spiritual disarray. Then, with an unexpected calling from God, I spontaneously started passionately creating art every day.

This pursuit of art opened up a fascination in learning about spirituality, psychedelics, human connection, and so much more. I'm not exactly sure if I choose the themes in my art, or if I simply chose to take on the discipline of a path bestowed upon me.

The inspiration for a painting can come from anywhere or at any time. I feel like my job as an artist is to work on myself and to grow into wisdom. It is a spiritual practice, and when my practice is diligent, these beautiful paintings seem to flower out my life without much effort. Sometimes the paintings are deeply insightful and sometimes they're just silly. To me, they all have value, and they reflect many aspects of life with an undercurrent of harmony flowing through it all!

The title of 'Between Love and Fear' totally hits the nail on the head of the space that I was in while creating the piece. I had a lot of love in my life, yet I kept being plagued by fears that were robbing me of being present in a seemingly beautiful life. I used this discordant situation as the jump-off point to start the painting process.

As I made this painting I realized that love and fear aren't opposites. Fears emerge because I am scared of losing the things that I love so much. So, this piece is a reminder to let go into love. I like that this piece wasn't simply initiated on an idealistic impulse; it specifically empathizes with the very human nature of clinging to what we love and desire.

'Begin Again' was created shortly after my recent move from Colorado to Pennsylvania. I moved to Colorado in 2017 as a relatively unknown artist. When I moved to Colorado; I started hanging out with a bunch of my favorite artists, made a lot of friends, explored tons of beautiful mountain landscapes, and eventually my art career really took off. It seemed as if everything all started to happen at once.

Then, on top of the world, my wife and I welcomed our first child into the world. Days after our son was born, my Dad was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Between becoming a father and processing that fact that mine was dying, I became quite fractured and lost. I started isolating a lot, participating in self-destructive behavior, and went through a very dark night of the soul. Eventually, after my dad died, we decided to move our family back to Pennsylvania where my wife and I grew up.

After we moved back and got settled in. I felt like I didn't know who I was anymore. Was my art career dead and gone? I used to live in a "hip and happening" art scene, and now what am I going to do here? My depression and grief continued...

Eventually, I couldn't stand the self-loathing and sadness anymore. So I restarted my meditation practice, and a few weeks into it, I got this flash of light in my heart. I started writing stuff in my journal like "you are a badass and do badass shit" and "you are important". It was the "fake it till you make it" strategy. This continued for weeks until eventually I experienced a strong vision for this painting.

This was a power-up piece! It was a proclamation that I've made it through the fire stronger than before. I am the phoenix rising from the ashes. It's about letting go of all the pieces of an old life so I can emerge again. 

If we're not careful, we can let our clinging to the past absolutely destroy the abundant light of the present. This piece is all about perseverance and resilience through the toughest of times. It's meant to remind the viewer of their immortal badass nature!