Behind every good artist there is a better idea wanting to come out.

There are countless way's to do that, mine are these.
To create is burden for one it starts, the floodgates are open, there is no turning back. For me my art is not to make you think hard about life, questions that otherwise would have not bother you. Who am I to make you think?
Yet I do hope my art and the feeling that my art brings forth will inspire you to make your own.

Through my diversity in media and themes I hope to make others enjoy art.

To get to that end I use simple graphite and charcoal the most, for the effect of shadows and highlights is massive and let's it self be worked in way's paint can't and will not. There are countless materials on which to draw, yet rough toothed board works for me the best. The roughness provides me with a chance to deepen the shadows even more, luring the onlooker deeper with the piece. Loosing one self with the work through the play between dark and light.

There is nothing better then being an artist, the freedom of expressing one's self upon canvas, to cut a piece of wood into a shape and run your fingers over it. To see people talk about your works in differend, giving them reason to talk once more with a fellow human being.
Every time a blank piece of paper has within it the power to be the next best thing you've made. The tension at the beginning, the sketch part, the first stroke is ever the best.

A piece that has matured over a time with in the studio can turn out well if there is no room to better it, at that point it is ready to be done and sighned. Some works take longer to get to that point and some never do. But a well done piece has it all, contrast, depth, and a soul. Only then it gets sighned.

Many artist form patterns over the years, through media, styles or subject. Because of the vast amount of great media I tend to switch and even intermix them, with that keeping my style fresh and ever changing. Like a tide never the same yet always is.

When I work with charcoal and pencils I am reminded that not every line or action is a permanent one, as are most things in life even though sometimes it feels that way.
I begin a piece by sketching the rough out lines, getting markers down on the blank background, this step is the most important and often reveals fast if the piece is going to fight me or is going to flow smoothly. Most of the times I will know when a piece is done when
I can no longer see room to improve it after it hung on the wall for a while, but other times, like portraits, the end result will pop up as a surprise. As a piece progresses the feeling of calm will behind the strokes. At the end this will show in the final piece and hopefully towards the vieuw as well.
While viewing my works, I wish not to change the un lookers world or even the ideas or there out look. I wish them to feel that they saw something they will tell there friends about, to start a coversation. Today the suttle art of talking to a fellow human being is almost feared. With my works I hope to start coversations.

Every drawing, paint,carving or piece starts different yet the same. A idea starts which is followed by a sketch. That might sit for a while until my eye gets caught to it. Then it gets enlarged and worked out in further detail. But portraits start different still, a photo is submitted or a live session isw made. From there a sketch is created and worked out from the eyes. I tend to work fast on portraits, pencil and charcoal lend them selves well for this, so most are done that way. Acrylic portraits are more for the dramatic look with deep shadows.
My carc\vings are done in basswood and are of a cartoon style, after there carved there sanded and painted.

The future holds many things and countless roads are yet untravelled, as an artist there are always new challenges to be taken. I am at the moment starting new works with a mix of cartoon and pop-art. Bolder colors and smaller seizes that will apeal to most.

Jay