ABOUT

QUICK INTRO

Rather than live up to the expectations of those from my high school past to graduate with a super science degree from an Ivy League or Military Academy, I started my own art business to pursue my dreams and inspire others to have the confidence to do what they love. So if you are not here to be inspired or view my gallery, get off my website and go DO something YOU love. Time is precious.

FAMILY AND PERSONAL LIFE

I grew up in a small town on a grape farm in Harborcreek, Pennsylvania surrounded by family. Besides drawing, I loved to play outside in the creek, mud, and vineyards. Today look forward to going home to help with harvest and smell the grapes. Other activities I enjoy include swimming and running. I swam competitively from age 6 to senior year in high school. I also have been running competitively since age 12. I currently run cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track in college at California University of PA (now Pennwest California). I have made many accomplishments in my running career including MVP awards, records, conference qualifier, runner of the year, and all state teams. It seems like a pretty perfect life. However, when I was 14 my father was diagnosed with a brain tumor. For three years I spent my life in and out of the hospital and sleeping in places other than home while managing school and my activities. My father passed the fall of my sophomore year of high school, greatly impacting my life. Today, I am inspired to keep drawing and running for him because I know how proud he would be that I have chosen this path.

COLLEGE AND CAREER

Making my college decision was very difficult for me. I graduated top of my high school class and with that there was a lot of pressure to apply to prestigious schools. I was expected go into a super science major and graduate with multiple degrees and a masters. Trying to live up to these expectations I decided to go into engineering at California University of PA and also apply to the United States Naval Academy. After a rigorous application process that took nine months to complete, I received my acceptance letter to USNA. There was doubt in my mind though, and I had not yet decided if I was going to accept my offer by that time. I had three weeks to accept my offer and make the decision alone while being away at my first semester in college. Three weeks passed, and I was sick in my dorm room with no decision made. If I decided to choose this route, I was signing away my life to be a military officer for almost twelve years. If I did not take this route, I was giving up a free education worth over half a million dollars and an incredibly huge honor. I had officers calling me and encouraging me to push that YES button during those few weeks. On my last day to accept, I pushed the button and received my plebe number and report time and date which was one month later. In that time I thought about my life a lot and what means the most to me: my family and what I am good at. On the day I was supposed to report, I sent an email and declined my offer stating I would not be reporting that day. I have never had to make a harder decision in my life. I still wonder what I would be if I had reported that day. However, I am still happily attending California University of PA and running full time. I switched out of engineering to pursue what makes me happy and am now studying digital media technology while growing this website and my art business.

ART INFLUENCES

I often get asked how I learned to draw. The answer is I really did not learn, I just drew. I started drawing at a very young age and did it often, but I had no art education, tutorials, or classes. It is something I have always been naturally gifted in. By age 14 I was just as good as some adults in my hometown. While I did take art classes in high school, I was beyond the levels of those classes and my teachers made accommodations for me. When I was in junior high, my first teacher gave me the opportunity to make ceramics, mat my own works, jewelry cast, and use materials I did not have access to at home. He always put my work on display and encouraged me to keep drawing, but I did not realize how important and influential he was until I started my business the summer of 2023. The main high school art teacher in my school taught senior level courses, but allowed me to come down and use the art room when I was 14. He gave me a generous amount of supplies to take home and keep, which I greatly appreciated and needed, but I never had the opportunity to have him as a teacher. My last teacher I had for many years. She was my grade school art teacher and my high school art teacher. While more strict and fair, she also had a great influence in my life. She as been a part of my life since I was 10 and I grew up with all three of her sons whom mean a lot to me. She taught my AP art class and also gifted me books and supplies, but her encouragement was more of a silent push. Regardless, I am thankful to have had her in my life as she is also a huge influence.