Nice to Meetcha
For my first post, I’ve decided it’s best to give some deeper insight about who I am! I want this to go beyond some boring old introduction. I’m going to share with you some of my journey through identity and self-expression, along with how this influences my work.
Music and subculture heavily influences the style, subject matter and approach of my art.
In middle school I considered myself a “scene kid,” aspiring to the bright, obnoxious fashion linked to that label. I had chunky fire truck red highlights. A typical outfit would consist of purple plaid jeans, a Nyan Cat T-shirt, fingerless fishnet gloves and Silly Bandz covering my wrists. At that time, the sketchbook I kept was filled with drawings of band logos, odd creatures, movie characters, and of course a few cartoony skulls.
Scene culture integrated dark and spooky vibes with a candy-coated aesthetic. This intersection has continued to bleed into some of my works. Without my realizing at first, this piece from February of 2021 I call ‘Undead Kitty’ was likely inspired from a brand I used to obsess over called Skelanimals.
The little figurines on the right are the only pieces of Skelanimals merch I still own.
As years went by and my tastes expanded I naturally went through other phases. During high school I latched onto grunge, which involved stealing my grandpa’s flannel. Then there was mall goth, which opened up many different uses for black lipstick (turns out it can be eyeshadow, too, if you believe in yourself)! In this period, my drawings were mostly greyscale.
My journey as a punk has spanned the beginning of my college years until now. These days I’m more spirited than sullen, trying to be as upbeat and unrelenting as the tunes I love. (My work is also getting bolder and more sleek, which you can check out at the ‘Portfolio’ tab)!
These evolving aesthetics signify phases that are pretty typical of kids who are a little different. I started out earnest, unabashed about being myself and comfortable bouncing around with an “everything is awesome” attitude. As a teen, I felt like an outcast. In young adulthood…I’ve circled back around to the beginning, in some ways. To preserve my mental health, I have a sense of optimism despite living in a world with so much darkness and uncertainty. COVID, war, the economy - I’m sure I don’t need to tell you the personal impact of all that. If you’re anything like me, you’re in a rough position, too. I believe it’s better to try and help things along as much as you can, through taking care of yourself and fighting for the wellbeing of others, than to give up.
So, yeah. I like black and bright colors. I like dark music and smiling while it plays. Things are pretty scary out here and I want to make great art. That’s that.
Wow, so, that got deep. As far as what I’ll be posting next? Perhaps you can expect the story of my brand in the near future…
Thanks so much for reading, and I’ll catch you on the flip side!