My personal journey making art on paper and canvas, has run parallel to an exploration of making art in human skin. My vision as and artist was forever changed and awakened by my time as a professional tattooist. As a tattoo artist I came out of my shell and worked intimately with thousands of people. Through countless hours of pain and blood, I created images for people who were on a journey of self discovery. Committing to a tattoo and submitting to the pain of the experience, creates a unique bond between the tattoo artist and client. In those intense moments when a person is bleeding for art, they often reveal deeply personal truths I would never have otherwise seen. They speak, they cry and sometimes they even sing. Epic mythologies, struggles between good and evil, monuments to lost love, symbols of hope and symbols beauty, became part of the everyday vocabulary of the tattoo studio. The depth and humanity of each client became painfully real to me. My self absorbed imagination and artistic ambitions were forever shattered by this overwhelming connection with people’s deepest hopes and fears. I now see my art as connected to the broader human experience. Loneliness, fear, beauty and love now manifest as symbols and images for us all. In the past, the intention of my work was that I wanted my voice to be heard. Now my paintings have become a vehicle for me to express the deepest, most real, most raw and most universal human emotions. Before my time as a tattoo artist, I felt alone and my work was about me. Now, I realize that even in my darkest moments, I am not alone. All of humanity stands beside me. There is a universe of experience inside each and every one of us. I create images that speak to this common experience. From the depths of my imagination, I create images to touch peoples hearts and let them know that they are not alone. The purpose of my art is to let people know that the burdens of fear and the blessings of hope are shared by us all.

The stories of my art have been woven with sharp painful needles and a fine thread of ink and blood. I have sewn a tapestry of meaning in the fabric of human flesh. Through these stitches, I have seen things I would have never imagined. My heart, my spirit and my art will never be the same.