I began my career at the tender age of two when I couldn't resist drawing on my parents' walls—even hiding behind curtains to do so. This early expression of artistry eventually progressed into a profound love for painting during my teenage years. A pivotal moment for me came during a family vacation to Colorado, where I experienced the breathtaking beauty of the mountains for the first time. I was captivated, and I immediately came home and painted one of my first large-scale works—a view overlooking Buena Vista with Mount Princeton in the background. Eventually, my passion for art led me to pursue a graphic design education, which evolved into a very successful career as a commercial film director. However, when the world slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic, I found the time to reflect and turn back to my first passion—painting. 

As the world becomes more digital with the onset of AI, I find myself increasingly enthralled with real, tangible, hand-crafted art. We live in a sea of social media content that is only relevant for a few moments of time, yet when I stand and view a piece of art in person, I'm looking at something that will last generations. I'm captivated by every detail. As a child, I would sit for hours and study books on Robert Bateman's wildlife paintings, and more recently, I've been drawn to Richard Schmidt. Each time I look at a work of art, I contemplate the motivation, the lighting, the color choices, and the brushwork. When I see a painter on the sidewalk or out in nature, I'm compelled to walk over and see what they're working on—no matter how amateur their work is, it's a profound joy to witness something new being created.

As I began my journey back into fine art, 20 years of creative ideas and passion came rushing to the surface all at once. My first impulse was to return to the mountains. There is much beauty to see in God's creation, and no matter where I travel in the world, I always find myself drawn to the mountains. Even though I don't exclusively paint mountains, you'll see that they usually find their way into my art—even as a background element.