Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a child, my mother and stepfather would bring home boxes of used copy paper for me to draw and scribble on. Who would have thought my colorful scribbles would lead to a budding artist? In middle-school art class, my assignment was to draw a close-up of an Iris. The drawing won first place and was displayed for the public, my first taste of publicity. In high school, I found myself doodling on my assignments, further developing my skills. Art was a hobby I loved. Friends and family began to tell me my art was getting better and that my ability to capture people’s faces was uncanny. I was in my twenties when I sold my first portraits. These were pencil drawings from photographs that sold at very low prices. It was at this same age I began dabbling in oils. A few years back, I was hired to paint a mural, and many private commissions. Needless to say, I worked hard on my artistic development, striving for perfection and studying the art of others to broaden my skillset throughout the years. Aside from hundreds of portraits for local residents, I attended WKU and took formal art classes. It deepened and solidified a solid foundation, learning advanced drawing and painting. However, like most people, I joined the workforce, relegating my artistic endeavors to a hobby status.
Following my artistic calling was in my DNA. I come from a family of very creative people. My grandmother was an artist. She painted on old saws, canvas, feathers, and scrap wood blocks as well as creating floral arrangements in her flower shop. My father, a stone mason, designs and constructs intricate and artful patterns for archways, fireplaces, walkways, and porches. Each and every block is specially placed to create beautiful designs. My brother is also an artist, specializing in fantasy art. I have several cousins and nephews with the same artistic gene, if you will. By the age of thirty-five, I could no longer deny my artistic aspirations. With the support of a dear friend, Deven Sutton, and my family, with two boys to support, it was a difficult choice but I decided to take the risk. I was going to follow my dreams and become an independent artist.
Being a full-time, independent artist in Bowling Green, Kentucky is a dream come true. My work encompasses family portraits, homestead paintings, and pet portraits. I enjoy landscape painting when I am not focusing on commissions. I specialize in charcoal, pencil, and oil painting portraits and prefer to work on a larger scale but will do smaller projects. For more information, or to schedule a consultation, please contact me at kentuckyartwork@gmail.com or call me at 270-392-4981.
-submitted by the artist
