My main focus is to create art with truth. My work is a reflection of my life, and I feel that I approach life in a similar manner. I strive to capture the smallest of details, as those details are what make the subject unique. When someone looks at my work, I want the thought to revolve around my subject. I want my subject to be depicted so accurately that the viewer has the chance to get to know a part of him or her, just as I do as I create the piece. I want one viewer to notice the fear in the eyes of my subject, while another viewer notices the confidence portrayed through her posture. The emphasis I put on reality is strong, so you won’t find a brushstroke in my work until I find a brushstroke on a model.

My sight and ability to identify the subtleties in my subjects is something I always try to improve and evolve with. The nuances that make up the form or the skin tone reveal themselves in the truth of a piece, and I try to train my eyes not to miss any details that might inhibit that truth.

When I step back and look at a “finished” piece that I’ve created, I often notice aspects of the piece that I didn’t notice when I deemed it “done.” This is sometimes a difficult thing for me to deal with because of the emphasis I place on the accuracy. Sometimes I go back and rework areas that I don’t believe in, but I usually try to leave it as is and use it to reflect on with future work. Although the lack of perfection can be frustrating, each piece I create is an invaluable learning experience. We wouldn’t have any room to grow as artists, or as people for that matter, if everything we did resulted in perfection, right? I try to be honest with myself about what I can learn by taking each mistake and turning it into a lesson for growing as an artist.

Above all, I want my work to embody truth. And I believe it does.

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