I didn’t get a degree in art. I studied civil engineering in search of a ‘practical’ way to apply my need for creativity. I had taken 2 art courses in high school, and an intro to oils course at BYU, where every lesson and project sparked true excitement and curiosity about my abilities to convey what the world around me naturally creates, with light and colors and textures.

It was on my train commute to work at a structural engineering firm that I began to rekindle my passion for art, drawing and painting in a sketchbook on my lap. I began studying art using any means I could: online videos, books, newfound mentors, and practice. In the fall of 2020, when I found out I was to be a father, my priorities quickly shifted and I chose to take a road less travelled (at least at the time) and commit myself to a less lucrative, yet much more fulfilling, career in the fine arts. I found myself acknowledging 3 things that mattered most to me: My family, staying connected with nature’s creations, and exploring life through hands-on creativity.

I am a landscape artist, depicting the natural landscapes that inspire me throughout the West, via alla prima methods and more traditional layering methods, primarily using oil paints. I paint en plein air (in the open air) mostly as a tool to learn from nature – the master of composition – and then return to my studio and use these studies as a springboard for further studies and larger, more polished pieces. In Utah, there is no shortage of breathtaking natural vistas, ranging from snowcapped mountains & lakes in the Uinta mountains to the hot, red-rock mesas of Southern Utah. Being in nature fills me with a sort of peace and sense of smallness that runs deeper than I can express. 

My artwork is a humble attempt to share a glimpse of those feelings elicited by the natural world as I seek to have eyes to see.