From the Archives: First Sketches

Some artists can draw/paint whatever is in their head without a source to reference from. I have always wished I could do that. But I have a different talent in that anything I see, I can replicate. Almost always I have a source reference when I paint. Sometimes I have a dream, and then proceed to paint what I recall from the dream the night before. If its a dream or something I have in mind, I usually piece together a collage from random images to use as a reference and then mash it up into my own interpretation when I create it by hand in paint or graphite.

The sketches below were my first freehand realism sketches. I did these all three in a single night in High School when I couldn’t sleep. I had never sketched realism before… sometimes miracles happen and cool stuff just comes out of nowhere. I love those moments. 🙂

Enjoy! ‘Baby of Mine’ is for sale at my store: here.

Author Box 04
About the Artist

I’m an artist, author, and poet. My work is often shaped by lived experiences and by paying close attention to the world around me… nature, and the people who have helped shape my life.

I usually paint first, and the words come later. Painting has been the safest way I’ve found to be honest about things that are hard to say out loud, and over time I’ve noticed other people finding their own stories in the work too.

My paintings are meant to comfort, to feel like a presence rather than a statement, and to give space for each person to find their own meaning. The connection that happens there matters most to me.