I am a realist oil painter devoted to portraiture and figurative work. Human form, gesture, and facial expression provide inexhaustible subject matter. I depict narratives from antiquity to the present day, confronting viewers with storylines of beauty, truth, justice, and redemption. My faith is an important factor in my work. As such, some of my paintings contain spiritual elements based on biblical writings presented in a contemporary context. I work from photos that I take of family, friends, and strangers from all walks of life often digitally reorganizing the imagery to create the most effective composition in telling a story. Extreme contrast of light and dark is a crucial component of my current work. With it, I explore the dichotomy of revelation versus concealment.
 
As a career art teacher, I am versed in an array of media including digital photography and design, plaster sculpture, mural works, and various types of drawing and painting. I also create pottery rooted in utilitarian traditions. I work with wheel-thrown and hand-built stoneware. 

Evangel University. Springfield, MO. B.A. Fine Art + Education. 2004 

Virginia Commonwealth University. Richmond, VA. M.I.S. Oil Painting and Ceramics. 2012.