MANY DIVERSE influences, both formal and informal, have shaped my work as an artist over the years. I studied art in college while rigorously analyzing art magazines and books on my own time, and at my own expense. College taught me some of the basics, but I soon realized that I could develop skills on my own, so I eventually eased out of traditional schooling to pursue creative passions on my own. My current work confronts the media environments that saturate our everyday lives. The circulation of experiences in this sped-up, global cultural arena - where internet millionaires, 18 year old athletes with 40 million dollar endorsement deals, and Myspace rock stars abound - has been a major influence on my work. Everybody wants to be a celebrity, and we see this drive in all areas of the media. In my work, I take what the newspapers, marketers, and ad agencies spit out and transform mass-produced images into unique paintings, altering the intended meaning of these images along the way. I try to give these images an identity that is independent of, and questions, their intended marketing demographics. I create my work by obtaining the source material for each piece and then creating line drawings which I then scan and use to create my work. I then print out the resulting image and apply it to the canvas or other surface in pieces, or individually, to recreate the imagery I'm working with. Along the way layer and rework the surface, giving each piece a look and an identity of its own. I augment these layers with textures created from various mediums, and then alter the surface with whatever is at hand, from paperclips to using screw drivers to scratch the surface and add qualities I feel are necessary for the piece to speak. My colors tend to be very vibrant and strong. At other times, my colors are subdued with transparent qualities, yet always light enough to preserve the underlying image as I build up each piece. I build up multiple layers leaving areas unpainted to help draw focus to points I feel are important to each particular piece. My work has matured greatly over the years, and I believe I have finally found my own voice. I try to keep my work fresh and my subject matter pertinent to today’s issues, while at other times experimenting to create something totally new. My environment plays a huge part in the process that I go through to create my work. I currently have very little space so most of my work is very small and gets composed from a methodical approach. I use everything afforded me to create my work and keep going as an artist. Art for me is an outlet I utilize to convey my frustrations, love and passion for the life I lead. All of it is just part of the human experience and changes as I continue to grow.