A couple of weeks ago, my older sister brought home some orchids and placed them on the kitchen table. At first, I glanced at them and thought, “Hmm, interesting shape.” But as the days passed and I kept walking by, curiosity started to kick in—and before I knew it, my pencil was wandering across the paper.

Orchids have such a geometric, symmetrical structure—unlike most flowers I’ve seen. Each petal ends in a sharp point, and at the center, the column stands upright, housing the reproductive organs: the anther and stigma. There’s something quietly commanding about their form. The word orchid comes from the Greek órchis, meaning “testicle”—a reference to the shape of the plant’s tubers. There are also around 30,000 known species of orchids, making them one of the largest flowering plant families. And here’s another fun fact: real vanilla flavoring comes from the pods of the vanilla orchid, a species that thrives in warm, tropical climates.

I’ve always loved the science behind things—especially in nature. A few of my favorite artists often say, “Everything you need is in nature,” and I couldn’t agree more. True inspiration starts there, especially when creating from both life and imagination.

Below are images of the studies along with some quick woodwork. Holler for any questions!

It’s no surprise that April can be a bit soggy and cloudy. Just a week ago, we had the first day of spring—warm temperatures, sunshine all day—it really felt great. But now, the rain is rolling in, with barely any sun in sight. As the saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers," so if you’re like me and can’t wait for those warm, sunny days, just be patient and let nature do its thing!

Below are some images of quick 1- to 2-hour alla prima paintings I worked on this past week. Once they’re all dry, I’ll make some frames, and hopefully they’ll find a new home.

As always, thanks for reading and keep creating!

It’s been a while since I last wrote on here, and I feel an obligation to keep up with my website and maintain this blog. It’s the least I can do, considering I can never get a grip with social media or maintain a presence on there.. Honestly, I just want to paint and do my work! Haha

Today I drove to Red Bank, NJ. With no traffic, I got there in about 45 minutes to drop off my painting for the upcoming Still Life exhibit at the Oyster Point Gallery. The Town of Red Bank has great energy and vibe to it—being so close to the water gives the town a wonderful atmosphere, and If I lived a little closer, I’d definitely be doing some plein-air painting over there! The architecture of the Oyster Point Hotel was impressive to see in person, and everyone’s work looked fantastic as well.

Back in my studio, I’ve been busy working on a large narrative figurative piece of Icarus (an homage to the Michelangelo work) I’m really enjoying working on the torso and all the feathers on the wings. The idea of flight and the story of Icarus have always inspired me. At first, I sketched Icarus alongside his father, Daedalus, but I ultimately felt that Icarus alone was poetic enough. The  drawing is about 3ft x 5ft and only took a couple of days to complete. For these large preliminary drawings, I tend to stick to soft vine charcoal, red and white chalk, and sanguine, which give a soft, lively flow to the composition. The underpainting is nearly finished, and I’m moving on to the dead-color phase. Once this dries, I’ll do one last round of color, and the painting will be complete. This technique closely follows that of Jacques-Louis David, whose early works are fascinating to study.

Alongside painting, I’ve also been carving a small stone sculpture and working on some jewelry pieces. I find that sculpture complements my paintings and drawings in a unique way and keeps my thoughts fresh.  I’ll try to update my website with more of my work (I have waayyy to many pieces that still need to be photographed!)

Be sure to keep an eye on my archive/shop page, as I’ll be adding more available works for sale. As always, thank you for reading and for your support!