I am an independent artist specializing in traditional, studio based practices. In creating my work I make use of many different mediums, my tools of choice being pen and ink and watercolor. When it comes to subject matter, I create works that deal with Identity- being a black nonbinary person in the current political climate. My art is about the struggles we face, such as mental illness, poverty, violence, and misrepresentation. The relationship between religion and these identities is also interesting to me, as living in the midwest has instilled in many that the two cannot coexist. My creations lean on religious iconography and the connotations of these symbols with the inclusion of black and brown bodies to get a point across.
My style is influenced by the illustrative styles of comic artists such as Alex Ross, Junji Ito, and Shunichi Sakamoto. I am also influenced by the old masters of the renaissance and baroque period. I tend to try to work in aspects of both into my pieces, either compositionally or in terms of lighting and rendering.
Currently, My process begins with either a digital or a pencil sketch that I will transfer either onto paper or onto canvas. I keep these sketches loose, often scribble-like to avoid becoming too rigid in my representation of forms. Then I begin mark making. I use smaller felt tip pens to cross hatch in my shadows and I use dip pens to make my more solid base lines. To create variation in my lines, I make use of several different brushes to ink with as well. As for painting, my process begins with color mixing, as my technique calls for color blocking and then blending between colors for smooth gradations.
I am open to take commissions in both digital and traditional mediums.