Bio - Wistful World

ABOUT ME

I have always had a fascination for the visual arts and as a child I would frequently draw unusual characters to amuse my family. A self-taught artist, I started painting watercolors in the late 1990's, but lost interest in traditional subject matters. It wasn't until about 2005 that I discovered the enjoyment of illustrative style painting that enabled me to express my creativity in a bold way that has sometimes been referred to as “Steampunk”.

You'll discover my art focuses primarily on colorful and whimsical illustrative characters that portray a different time, technology and outlandish fashion. My inspiration stems from the work of Amedeo Modigliani's style of elongated figurative characteristics that became the foundation for my “Modi” Siamese cat character and elongated figures. I also find enjoyment in contemporary artists such as Jeanie Lynn Paske, Daniel Merriam and Patricia Van Lubeck.

My work has been on display at the William Pinney Gallery in Suffield, CT, the Greater Hartford Arts Council Workplace Campaign, East Windsor Public Library, and the Somers Piedmont Art Show for 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010. The painting “Wanna ride?” was featured on the front page of Hartford Courant's I-Town section on May 18th, 2008. I also won 1st place in painting for the interpretation of Elizabeth Ihling titled "Lizzie's return to Centre County" in the 2010 Monson Art Council Show, and I landed the Shephard Family award for the painting "The New Woman" in the 2011 show.

HOW IT STARTED

Modi evolved from my fascination with the painting style of Amedeo Modigliani who lived in the late 1800's and focused primarily on portraiture. After struggling to find some type of unique style of my own, I asked the question: "If Modigliani had a cat, what would it look like?". Modi the siamese cat was born! Modi is a carriage wheel maker at a large factory and hates his mundane job. To release his frustration, he tinkers with gadgets and builds bicycles in his spare time. Many folks have suggested that I create and/or illustrate children's book, however I do not had the desire to do so at this time. For now, I enjoys building up my portfolio and exploring how far I can push the design of design work.

WHERE IT WAS

Modi has made some changes since he was first introduced and there has also been the introduction of figurative work. Compared to some of the older pieces, the newer work is much more vivid and colorful. I continue to strive for graceful compositions, wild fashion and intricate design. I love to explore the use of split complimentary colors, pounding lights against darks, and using patterns that flow gracefully to the eye. Additionally, the overall composition must make the viewer wander throughout the painting like a well read story.

WHERE IT IS GOING

Since 2012 I have introduced a new fresh style to my paintings known as "Wistful World". My artwork expresses the desire to display more "edgy" and dark emotions with the characters-- and less emphasis on steampunk. I have also introduce my Misérable Couture artwork as a new style involving paper cutouts mounted on canvas. Stay tuned! Please browse my gallery to see more.