Q1: When did you first get into painting, or drawing in general?
A: Honestly, I didn't really start til I was about 18. Through highschool I wanted to be a writer, then a photographer... I was always into creative things. But after I graduated, even though I had a knack for drawing, I never really pursued it. I was dating someone at the time who encouraged me to take a drawing class at the local university. I was like, sure, fine, initially dismissive of the idea. But it was so fun! That kind of started it.
Q2: As you’re from Anchorage, has your hometown influenced your work at all?
A: That’s an interesting question. If you look at my work, it really reflects New York, where I’m living now. Art in Alaska is largely focused on nature — landscapes, birch trees, mountains, ravens, that sort of thing — and my work never quite fit in with that. But I like to think being from Alaska gave me a certain ruggedness, a certain unapologetic independence. Moving to New York, I was always confident, and I think that confidence allows me to make work that feels very true and honest.
Q3: Your work feels very personal — it draws a lot from daily life. Would you like to share a bit about your creative process?
A: Yeah, I really want my work to reflect a lived experience that I’m living, digesting and putting on display. All I can hope for is that other people see it and go, “wait, yeah — me too.”
Q4: I’d love to hear about your actual process. Where does a piece start, and how does it find its way to being finished?
A: Everything starts from automatic drawing, something I learned from a jazz musician I was close to. You just noodle around and you’re not trying to make anything good. In fact, you’re almost trying to make stuff that’s bad. I fill sketchbooks, notebook paper, legal pads with the worst drawings you can imagine. But eventually one thread leads to the next, and little ideas start to piece themselves together. So everything starts with a very diligent, but free of self-judgment, sketchbook practice. When the pieces start to tell a story, I go, “aha, I’m hitting on something.” And when it feels somehow greater than the sum of its parts— even if I don’t fully understand it — that’s when I want to make it into a painting.
Q5: Do you usually listen to music when you work?
A: Definitely. I’m very active while I’m painting. Standing, moving around, backing up, moving the easel. Music keeps me energetic. Sometimes I’ll have a movie or podcast on, but mostly music.
Q6: Would you like to introduce your cat? We noticed he appears in your work quite a bit.
A: His name is Prismo – my very best friend. If I’m home, Prismo is near me, most likely on my lap; he’s the little spirit of the house, so naturally he finds his way into my work. I have little paint paw prints on my desk and chair because he’s a menace. I just worship the little guy. In my paintings I always simplify him as a black silhouette, even though he’s actually a tuxedo cat, because I find the black and white can be a bit visually distracting. The silhouette feels more striking; his spirit is a black cat.
Q7: Is there a piece you’ve made that genuinely surprised even yourself?
A: I think when a painting is beginning, I don’t fully understand it. I just know it’s speaking to me. Often only when it’s finished am I able to assign it its meaning. This piece here, ‘Bid for Connection’, is definitely one of my favorites. If you follow this knotted body, it’s pointing at different things, and you’re getting a peek under the floorboard — something about it is extremely compelling to me. I have my own personal relationship to its meaning, and I hope other people have theirs.
Q8: Are there any artists you like?
A: There are tons of artists I admire. Kerry James Marshall is one of the greatest of all time. Paula Rego is incredible. Philip Guston. And among contemporaries, Kyle Staver — I don’t usually enjoy artist interviews, but listening to hers made me love her even more.
Q9: Is there anything meaningful you took away from your time at SVA?
A: I had some really incredible professors, like Thomas Woodruff and TM Davy. And TM Davy specifically. I don’t feel like I have many role models, but he was someone where I thought, I hope I grow to be more like this person. As for the broader experience, honestly, only a semester in, Covid happened and the rest of my schooling moved online. That really stifled the sense of community. I think it’s a big reason I want to pursue a grad program. I still long for that immersive cohort experience.
Q10: Is there anything you’d like to share with the audience or people who follow your work?
A: I hope my work continues to evolve and change. The work I made back in Alaska looks nothing like my work now, and some people didn’t initially like that shift… but as I grow and change, I’m sure my audience will too. I’m still very interested in the figurative, and I’m just going to keep walking in a straight line. I’m not going to chase the zeitgeist. I’m just going to keep doing what I want, and be stubborn in the way I always have been.