Artist Statement

Abstract art is like music without words. Colors, patterns, and texture can work together to create a visual symphony, independent of topic: emotion in the raw.

My own art is most like improvisational jazz. When I start a piece, I may have a basic framework in mind, but it’s really just a point of entry. Decisions are made on the fly. The next step is determined by the previous until I have something that I can’t bear to alter any further - some perfectly imperfect object with its own personality - a new thing unto itself. But at the end of the day, each finished piece is merely a record of a series of visual riffs, performed without an audience.

Biography

I was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1972. My formal education was at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio where I earned my BA in journalism with a heavy emphasis on advertising and public relations. From 1997, I spent 15 years in Austin, Texas, working for the Austin Chronicle as a graphic designer, prepress manager, then production manager. In 2011, my wife and I decided to try early retirement in Central America. We lived in Costa Rica and Panama for three years before picking up once again and moving to Chattanooga, Tennessee to be near family in the area. It was upon moving back to the states that we both took up painting, at first just to have something to hang on our own walls. My wife, Melissa is an accomplished artist in her own right. Currently we travel together throughout the United States exhibiting our work.


Juried Art Festivals Past and Future

Sep 2-4, 2023: Art In The Pearl Fine Arts & Crafts Festival, Portland, OR

Aug 4-6, 2023: Crested Butte Arts Festival, Crested Butte, CO

Jul 28-30, 2023: BAM Arts Fair, Bellevue, WA

June 2-4, 2023: Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show, Philadelphia, PA

May 6-7, 2023: Cottonwood Art Festival Spring, Richardson, TX

Mar 2-5, 2023: La Quinta Art Celebration, La Quinta, CA

Nov 10-13, 2022: La Quinta Art Celebration Encore, La Quinta, CA

Oct 21-23, 2022: Art Worth, Fort Worth, Texas

Aug 12-14, 2022: Sun Valley Arts & Crafts Festival, Ketchum, ID

Jul 29-31, 2022: Bellevue Arts Museum Arts Fair, Bellevue, WA

Jun 25-26, 2022: Art in the Village, Winnetka, IL

Jun 3-5, 2022: Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show, Philadelphia, PA

May 20-22, 2022: Tephra Fine Arts Festival, Reston, VA

Apr 22-24, 2022: Art in the Square, Southlake, TX

Mar 25-27, 2022: Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park, Houston, TX

Mar 3-6, 2022: La Quinta Art Celebration, La Quinta, CA

Nov 11-14, 2021: La Quinta Art Celebration Encore, La Quinta, CA

Nov 5-7, 2021: Carefree Fine Art & Wine Festival, Carefree, AZ

Oct 1-3, 2021: St. James Court Art Show (St James Court Section), Louisville, KY

Sep 25-26, 2021: Art Fair on the Square, Madison, WI

Sep 18-19, 2021: Alexandria Old Town Art Festival, Alexandria, VA

Aug 28-29, 2021: Port Clinton Art Festival, Highland Park, Illinois

Jul 31-Aug 1, 2021: Boulder Fine Art Street Festival at Twenty Ninth Street, Boulder, CO

Jul 24-25, 2021: Keystone River Run Village Art Festival, Keystone, CO

Jul 17-18, 2021: Downtown Aspen Art Festival, Aspen, CO

Jun 19-20, 2021 Burr Ridge Art Fair, Burr Ridge, IL

Jun 12-13, 2021 Old Town Art Fair, Chicago, IL

Apr 17-18, 2021: 4 Bridges Arts Festival, Chattanooga, TN

Feb 20-21, 2021: Coconut Point Art Fair, Estero, FL

Jan 23-24, 2021: The Naples Uptown Art Festival, Naples, FL

Sep 12-13, 2020: Alexandria Old Town Art Festival, Alexandria, VA

Feb 15-17, 2020: Coconut Grove Arts Festival, Coconut Grove, FL

Jan 25-26, 2020: St. Armands Circle Art Festival, Sarasota, FL

Jan 18-19, 2020: Downtown Delray Beach Festival of the Arts, Delray Beach, FL

Oct 24-26, 2019: Artclectic: University School of Nashville Art Show, Nashville, TN

Oct 4-6, 2019: St. James Court Art Show (St. James Court section), Louisville, KY

Aug 31-Sept 2, 2019: Art in the Park, Marietta GA

July 18-21, 2019: Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the Original, Ann Arbor, MI

June 8-9, 2019: Nashville National Fine Arts Festival (Howard Alan Events), Franklin, TN

May 25-26, 2019: Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association: Spring Arts in the Park, Blue Ridge, GA

April 26-28, 2019: Magic City Art Connection, Birmingham, AL

April 14-14, 2019: Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Atlanta, GA

Feb 23-24, 2019: St. Petersburg Fine Art Festival, St. Petersburg, FL

Oct 13-14, 2018: Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association: Fall Arts in the Park, Blue Ridge, GA

Sept 15-16, 2018: Creative Arts Guild Festival: Outdoor Artist Market, Dalton, GA

May 4-6, 2018: Tennessee Craft Fair, Nashville, TN

April 20-22, 2018: 4 Bridges Arts Festival, Chattanooga, TN


Other Accomplishments

Jun 12-13, 2021 Group Exhibition: East Meets West at Hetzel Art Studio & Gallery, Cleveland, TN

May 15, 2021 Grand Reopening Exhibition with Mark & Melissa Gates at Mountain Arts Community Center, Signal Mountain, TN

Sep 14-Oct 19, 2018: Creative Arts Guild Festival: Indoor Patron Purchase Group Exhibit, Dalton, GA

Jul 20-27, 2018: “Surreal Deal” group exhibition at LIT Art Gallery, Chattanooga, TN.

Jul 20-27, 2018: “AVA’s Art Auction” group salon show at Association for Visual Artists, Chattanooga, TN.

Jun 1-22, 2018: “Childhood Memories of Summer” group exhibition at Chattanooga Workspace Gallery, Chattanooga, TN.

May 4-6, 2018: Emerging Maker at the 47th Annual Spring Tennessee Craft Fair, Centennial Park, Nashville, TN.

Apr 20-22, 2018: Emerging Artist at 4 Bridges Arts Festival, Chattanooga, TN.

Jun 2017-Jun 2018: The Painted Story Children's Gallery, Chattanooga, TN.

Oct 27-31, 2017: "Horrorshow II" exhibition group show at Swine Art Gallery, Chattanooga, TN.

Oct 20-31, 2017: "Senses" exhibition group show at LIT Art Gallery, Chattanooga, TN.

Mar-Apr 2017: "For Your Eyes Only" juried gallery show at Association for Visual Artists, Chattanooga, TN.