Painting has always captivated me. One of my first memories of painting was pausing a taped copy of the Looney Tunes and Michael Jordan movie “Space Jam” so that I could copy, the little alien characters that I saw on screen. I did it enough that eventually I could paint them all from memory. It wasn’t until I started re-watching cartoons as an adult that I began to appreciate the artistry and all the hidden details that help bring these still images to life. 

I began noticing the beauty in the composition of the backgrounds and scenery, while the cells were absent of characters. Investigating these liminal spaces allowed me to pick up on unique details that I had previously overlooked. Like telling the time with colour, or revealing social context through the wear of furniture, cracks in the wall or stains on the carpet.

Through this fascination with the art of animation I began looking at my environment differently, like thinking of what colour I would use to depict the time of day, how I would paint light on a window and becoming obsessed with urban decay. Living in New York, I'm surrounded by buildings that are dripping with history and character. I'm drawn to the parts of the city that many people ignore, the cracks in the walls, the fading painted signs, and vintage lights and fixtures. It has been this way in every city I have lived in and when travelling, I will seek out the oldest bars and restaurants, not just for what they serve, but for the layers of human touch that have built up over time. This has also lead me to a fascination will all things Kitsch and when I see old architecture and kitsch combine, that to me is the ultimate.

My paintings zoom in on these often-ignored details of urban life. I'm fascinated by how time leaves its mark on our surroundings and how these marks tell stories about who we are and where we've been. Each piece invites you to slow down, notice and explore the overlooked details that exist within our surroundings and how these subtle environmental details can convey profound narratives.