The Southern California-born artist combines nature’s inspiration with bold public murals, capturing the balance between abstract flow and intricate detail.
Vitals:
Nickname: Bird.
Hometown: Yucaipa, CA.
Favorite bear: Panda bear.
Burrito or sushi:
Don’t get me wrong, sushi is amazing but I got to go with burritos. Sober, drunk or hungover, a burrito always has your back.
Best color combination: Earthtones.
Best advice you’ve received:
Don’t stop creating. Even if it feels like you’re not getting any traction or just treading water. Stay consistent, stay true to your vision, and you’ll find your audience.
Advice for up and coming artists:
Learn how to write about your artistic vision. It’s just as important as your practice.
Where can someone find you on a Friday night:
Dimestore Delibar. It’s where I work and they have the best burger in Denver.
Current show you’re bingeing:
The Penguin.
Every artists should have:
Something you keep on you to jot down ideas that come to you randomly. Whatever it is, a sketch book, notebook or notes app. I can’t tell you how many ideas that I’ve lost because I thought ‘oh, I’ll remember that.’ You never know when inspiration will hit you.
Your art is almost street art meets fine art. How would you describe your style?
Thank you, that’s a nice compliment. Surreal landscapes would be the best way to describe my style. I didn’t come up with it but I feel like that rings true. In my work, I’m searching for the balance between detailed imagery and an abstract flow.
The detail in your art is next level. Did you go to art school or take classes? What about art draws you in?
I did. I lived in Santa Barbara, California in my 20’s and took art classes at the city college there. It’s an artsy city and I had a good art program so I took advantage of that. That time helped me sharpen my eye for detail which came naturally to me. As for what art draws me in, there’s no end game. It’s about the process and learning from that process—being playful and experimenting. My current art looks nothing like my art from 10 years ago and I hope my art in 10 years looks nothing like my art now. It’s like a visual diary of my life, where my head was at, and what was on my mind at that time. I’m excited to get older and see how my style and approach change as I age.
You create murals, paint on canvas, draw digitally, what’s your favorite medium to work in?
I’ve been having the most fun with a spray can. The most recent mural I worked on was for Colfax Canvas Mural Festival and was a collaborative piece with Rachel Dinda, who goes by Dreamscape. It was my first mural painted only using spray paint. It was a lot of fun to figure out the spray can on such a large canvas.
Your art is almost street art meets fine art. How would you describe your style?
Thank you, that’s a nice compliment. Surreal landscapes would be the best way to describe my style. I didn’t come up with it but I feel like that rings true. In my work, I’m searching for the balance between detailed imagery and an abstract flow.
The detail in your art is next level. Did you go to art school or take classes? What about art draws you in?
I did. I lived in Santa Barbara, California in my 20’s and took art classes at the city college there. It’s an artsy city and I had a good art program so I took advantage of that. That time helped me sharpen my eye for detail which came naturally to me. As for what art draws me in, there’s no end game. It’s about the process and learning from that process—being playful and experimenting. My current art looks nothing like my art from 10 years ago and I hope my art in 10 years looks nothing like my art now. It’s like a visual diary of my life, where my head was at, and what was on my mind at that time. I’m excited to get older and see how my style and approach change as I age.
You create murals, paint on canvas, draw digitally, what’s your favorite medium to work in?
I’ve been having the most fun with a spray can. The most recent mural I worked on was for Colfax Canvas Mural Festival and was a collaborative piece with Rachel Dinda, who goes by Dreamscape. It was my first mural painted only using spray paint. It was a lot of fun to figure out the spray can on such a large canvas.
Give us some backstory. How did you get into art and at what age did you start being creative?
I’ve always been drawing since I was a kid, mostly cartoon and comic book characters growing up. I remember an older cousin showing me pages that he photocopied from what must have been one of the early books documenting graffiti. I think I was a little too young to appreciate the writing styles but I loved the characters that I saw. After that, pretty much any type of school folders, desks, or backpacks were covered with my drawings.
Where do you draw your inspiration?
Nature: spending time in the outdoors has always been a big part of my life. Growing up in Southern California, a lot of my family vacations were road trips through the southwest spending time at national parks, camping and exploring. That time has left a footprint in me creatively.
Where would you like to take your craft from here?
I want to focus on more public mural work. While working on studio art can be cathartic and satisfying, it can also be isolating. One of my favorite aspects of creating art in public spaces is interacting with people coming by or residents who live in the neighborhood.
Is there a project that stands out as one of your favorites that you’ve worked on?
The mural I collaborated on for Colfax Canvas this summer. The mural is located at The Vintage Theatre in downtown Aurora. Rachel and I wanted to highlight the dichotomy of the past and present in Aurora. It’s titled “Duality”. The coexistence of contrasting elements that reveal the complexity and interconnectedness of opposing forces. It’s by far the biggest piece I’ve worked on. Painting at a large scale is so much fun.
What’s coming down the pipeline in 2025?
That’s kind of still up in the air. I have an indoor mural project that’s in the early stages. I’m currently applying to public art calls and mural festivals for next year, so we’ll see what comes my way.
Shameless plug: what’s up next?
I’m working on the web store on my site where I’ll have prints and originals available soon. I also have about 3 to 4 solid concepts for studio painting that I’m excited to start working on. Those should keep me busy till the new year.
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