1. WHAT IS YOUR ART BACKGROUND?
Pretty much nothing, at least formally. In middle school I took art classes and loved them, like most kids do. I took a few more in college. But these were all peripheral, learning about topics like making collages or the history of (insert great European artist). These are enriching topics, but they don’t really explore any kind of theory or practice. Everything I do is unrefined.
In the internet era, I don’t know whether “outsider artists” can really exist in the same way that they used to–that kind of isolation from larger art trends is not usually possible anymore. So I wouldn’t call myself an “outsider artist” as much as an untrained artist or an Appalachian folk artist. In college I read an interview with Gustav Klimt where he said that the line between arts and crafts is artificial. It doesn’t really exist. I agree with that.
At one point perhaps I would have liked to have received formal training of some sort, but at this stage in my life I have been drawing and painting every day for decades, so even if the training might benefit me, I don’t really want it anymore.
In my thirties I became chronically ill and developed occasional mobility problems. This is when I started painting in acrylics again, much more frequently, often creating several pieces a day and going years where I did not take a day off from painting, either after work or in place of work while I struggled with and recovered from various ailments. During this time the world simultaneously experienced a pandemic.
Painting is a form of meditation, wherein to do it right the artist can’t simultaneously be angry or frustrated or distracted. Painting grounds the artist and brings them to the center of the right now.
2. WHAT SURFACES DO YOU PAINT ON?
The majority of works shown here are on multimedia paper or canvas panels (canvas boards) purchased at retail stores like Walmart because I am the opposite of fancy. A significant portion are done on salvaged or reclaimed canvas panels that otherwise have been repainted, so original paintings (but not prints) may have old bumps, textures, or tears that have been creatively incorporated or painted over. The goal is always to make them less noticeable, except when it’s not. Occasionally I will paint on lumber, cardstock, or other surfaces.
3. WHAT PAINTS DO YOU USE?
Acrylic paints ranging from lower quality craft pains to artist quality paints get used most often. Sometimes I will see a clearance tube of paint and fall in love with it. Other times I will spend $50 for a specific color and grade, then never use it. Acrylic inks or acrylic markers are sometimes used to finish detail work. Some original paintings may be finished with a fixative spray, but this is not common or necessary.
4. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?
I would say that I am a folk painter from outer space. I have surrealist sensibilities and illustrator-like style. I can create things in a more painterly way, but that approach has never really spoken to me. For other painters, it can have such a beautiful outcome. But for me, it feels labored or ostentatious. I like clean, simple, lines between all parts of a composition. Acrylics in particular lend themselves to this approach, so that is what I use. I don’t really get too worried about labels though. If something speaks to me, it doesn’t matter what style it’s in, I will usually listen. And if somebody describes my work differently, that’s OK, too.
5. WHAT BRUSHES DO YOU USE?
Everything.
6. WHERE IS YOUR SIGNATURE?
I normally sign my works on the back of the piece because this eliminates any distraction that can sometimes be caused by a signature done in a clashing color, wrong size, or odd style for any given piece. When an artist’s signature becomes a focal point, that bugs me. Letters and words are always in a particular language and that always limits part of the work to only certain people. I’m not completely opposed to written language on s painting, but I do find that prominent signatures tend toward that outcome.
7. COPYRIGHT INFO
All original paintings are copyrighted. The Internet being what it is, I generally do not show the entire image, and/or I photograph it before the final touch-ups, so that I can prove if needed that an image was lifted inappropriately from this site. If by some chance you want to use an image, I will probably let you, but please reach out so that I can keep track of where my images have been used.
8. CAN I DONATE TO SUPPORT YOU?
Yes, people have actually asked this. You can donate, and as a disabled person with bills I greatly appreciate it. But it is not required. My Cash App and PayPal info are below:
Cash App: 
PayPal: 
9. DO YOU SELL PAINTINGS OR PRINTS?
Not often. I paint every day but I don’t necessarily finish a piece every day, and I don’t often have anything worth selling. If you are interested in a specific piece, please message me. You can also buy postcards by clicking here, but that is not at all expected. I plan to have a few select 8 x 10 prints available in 2026.
10. MISCELLANEOUS INFO
On original paintings you may see random cat or dog or even human hairs. This is considered an act of God.
Meow.
Frog on the Porch 