hello.

I was born at Mercy Hospital and raised in Swisher, Iowa. My Gen-X brothers and I were latchkey kids that spent summers in the sun playing homerun derby and running gravel roads. After graduating from Prairie H.S., I attended Wartburg College where I earned a dual degree in Studio Art and Graphic Design. Shortly after graduation I ventured to Italy for a year, where I painted awful landscapes and the occasional portrait. When I ran out of money I headed back to Iowa.

For 8 years I worked alongside my Dad in the water-well industry; drilled wells, installed pumps and built small municipal water plants. It afforded me the money and time to continue painting and writing in the evenings.

In 2008, I moved to the Netherlands. I painted full-time while enjoying a life of pocket-size cafes and interesting characters. It was the most romantic time of my life. Unfortunately, the stress of living as an illegal immigrant took its’ toll, so I moved back to Iowa in order to regroup before heading to St. Louis. Once there, the state of the economy provided an unwelcoming backdrop. Jobs were scarce and hustling was the only way to survive. I worked a series of odd jobs, construction, rehabs and had a very memorable stint in the world of architectural salvage, until the fear of being killed eventually won out and forced a career change.

Far from home, again, I poured myself into the community. Volunteering and Friendsgiving-esque holidays became social norms for me. I leaned on my love of learning and began designing more. I branded James Beard caliber restaurants and performed live art-making for entities like Cargill and Budweiser.
Life was nice.
Life was on pace.
Then…
Life went sideways.

Before l knew it, it was 2020, I hadn’t painted in 4 years and COVID 19 had created an isolation that was not kind. During this time I was asked “why don’t you create anymore?” It took another 2 years to find my answer. I create because my ability to do so is a gift that I cannot abuse with neglect. I create to show you the world as I see it – beautiful despite its’ ugliness.

If you have any questions,
I am happy to talk.

– me