How long have you been creating?

I’ve been creating in some form or another as long as I can remember. I’m an only child and grew up with an active imagination, a lot of time alone in my room, and lots of crayons, paints and clay to get my hands dirty with.

What is your media of choice?

Generally, I work mainly with acrylics, but my nature as a "dabbler" leads me to experiment with whatever I can get my hands on. Currently I am dividing my spare time between painting, collage and decorating a nursery - so acrylics, found objects, and latex interior paints are the ruling media of the moment. ;)

What are your motivations for creating?

I wish I could figure this one out, bottle it, spray it on myself, and repeat as necessary. I have a very strong drive to create - to be productive in general. But the muse leaves me often, and I find myself fighting creative block. (I’ve just ended a one-year gap between paintings, in fact.)

When that block rears its ugly head, sometimes I can drop what I am doing and move on to something else. Case in point: I spent a couple of years writing and recording music, and I found it very rewarding (and therapeutic) - but eventually the musical inspiration well went dry. That’s when I returned to creating visual art.

I never feel that I need to create for a specific reason, nor do I feel any one thing leads me to do so. I just have that urge, that spark - that undeniable *thing* that says, "YOU MUST CREATE!" It can be a curse as much as a blessing, but even in the worst of times I’m thankful I have it.

What other artists or movements inform your work?

I have a lot of favorites from different genres - from the old masters to more recent artists like Kahlo, Haring and Warhol. My favorite modern artists are SHAG (Josh Agle), Mark Ryden, Kreg Yingst, Teresa Villegas, and a ton of talented people right here at EBSQ - too many to name! (By the way, I think "informed" is an excellent word choice for this question. I’m often inspired by, but always informed by, other artists’ work.)

What do you find visually stimulating right now?

My latest fascination is with Mexican folk art, especially that which is created in observance of El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). I’m also enjoying a renewed appreciation for the beauty that can be found in the simplest of "every day" things - like the pattern of the maple on my guitar, the markings on my dogs’ coats, and even the strangeness of my pregnant, protruding navel! lol

What's the last book you read?

"What to Expect When You’re Expecting" and "Your Pregnancy - Week by Week". (I’m afraid most of my reading these days is of an educational or informational nature.)

Tell me a little about your fascination with "kitsch" and how that permeates your work.

I’ve always felt that I was born too late. This "information age" we live in - while it’s convenient - tends to put a brain like mine (one that tends to go in too many directions anyway) on overload. (Don’t get me wrong; I’m somewhat of a geek and lover of technology, but I often find myself longing for a simpler time.) I guess it’s my fascination with the 50’s that fuels my affinity for kitsch and retro design, especially things from the "space age" and Hawaiiana.

What would you like your fellow EBSQ artists and our collectors to know about you and/or your work?

I’m a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of none. And I’m okay with that.