The Pendulum of Art: What Society’s Shift Means for Artists Today

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my years as an artist, student, and educator, it’s that art is a reflection of the world around us. It’s not just about what we see—it’s about what we feel, what we long for, and how we process the times we’re living in. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how art follows the emotional and philosophical state of society—and how we’re in the middle of a major shift right now. But this isn’t new. It’s happened before. Art as a Mirror of Society’s Shifts History shows us that art swings like a [...]

By |2025-06-05T11:16:35-06:00March 2nd, 2025|Categories: Art, Journals|Tags: |Comments Off on The Pendulum of Art: What Society’s Shift Means for Artists Today

Photography as a Spiritual Practice: Seeing Beyond the Visible

Some artists begin with a concept and then create work to express it. Others, like myself, create intuitively and later uncover the meaning behind what we’ve made. I have always walked a fine line between these two approaches—between instinct and intention, surrender and control. As a young BFA student studying art, graphic design, and photography, it took me years to understand the difference between art and design. And even longer to give myself permission to be an artist again after immersing myself in the structured, goal-oriented world of design. But even before I knew how to put it into words, [...]

By |2025-02-21T04:44:31-06:00February 25th, 2025|Categories: Art, Photography, Writing|Tags: |Comments Off on Photography as a Spiritual Practice: Seeing Beyond the Visible

Si’kono She’va Alah’vast’nu: The Artist’s Invocation

True art is an expression of the soul. It is a calling that cannot be contained, an energy that must be released. To withhold it is to create a dam within the self—one that builds pressure, causing unease, anxiety, and tension in both body and spirit. Art is not always logical. It does not always arrive with clear purpose or explanation. Yet, it must be expressed. To create is to move, to breathe, to align. Before the masterpiece can emerge, the clutter must be discarded—the noise, the distractions, the stagnant energy held within. One must empty the vessel of its burdens so that the soul’s true essence may flow freely like ink in a pen.

By |2025-02-21T04:19:09-06:00February 21st, 2025|Categories: Art, Writing|Tags: |Comments Off on Si’kono She’va Alah’vast’nu: The Artist’s Invocation

Beyond Form: Exploring Presence

Energy in Motion Beyond Form: Exploring Presence Energy in Motion Beyond Form: Exploring Presence (series) Left: Presence: Within the Frame Takayama, Japan | 2024 Right: Absence: Elsewhere Takayama, Japan | 2024 Photography has always been more than just capturing moments—it’s a way to explore movement, energy, and presence in ways that push past the obvious. I’ve been playing with these ideas, experimenting with how distortion, negative space, light, and texture can reveal something deeper. These latest portraits of Karl and me, taken in Japan, are part of that journey. I wanted to see what happens when form dissolves, [...]

By |2025-02-21T02:21:44-06:00February 21st, 2025|Categories: Art, Photography|Tags: , |Comments Off on Beyond Form: Exploring Presence

Straw Hat Cafe

JSU provides all students with access to LinkedIn Learning so I'm taking advantage of it while I still have access to it. I've been watching a lot of video courses on illustration, Adobe Illustrator, logo design, and photography. Just kind of sampling different courses in order to learn new tools and techniques. I was browsing through photos from my trip to Japan in 2015 looking for some vector practice inspiration and came across this fun sign from a Studio Ghibli-themed cafe called Straw Hat Cafe. It was super simple but still good practice and I'm happy with how it turned [...]

By |2025-02-18T00:54:28-06:00September 7th, 2021|Categories: Art|Comments Off on Straw Hat Cafe

TBT: Painting I with Gary Gee

I can't remember when these were done, probably in 2007, the really awful one may of been done in 2005. I initially hated painting these still-lifes but now I think they're fun and I'm glad Mr. Gee challenged us to paint all these lines and shapes. Class: Painting I Professor: Gary Gee

By |2025-02-18T04:59:18-06:00December 22nd, 2016|Categories: Art|Tags: , , |Comments Off on TBT: Painting I with Gary Gee
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