I began my education in the field of accounting, but after winning a nation wide short film contest resulting in a six week backpacking trip through Europe, I redirected my education to art and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to follow my true passion.
I attended Cal State University East Bay from 2002-2005 where I devoted these years to expanding my traditional art skills, developing my passion for the digital arts—and most importantly—nourishing a newfound desire to use art as a vehicle to express my emotions and thoughts.
The core courses in route to my Electronic Arts: Multimedia degree consisted exclusivity in the digital realm, while each of my elective courses bounced around the traditional art studios. When not at college, or tending bar at the local brewery, I was sitting in the back row of Dr. Levy’s art history lectures, which inspired frequent visits to the SF Museum of Modern Art.
One day in class I received an email from Jason Groves, a childhood friend who traveled Europe with me. This email introduced me to the anonymous British artist Banksy whom implemented stencils in the streets of London. I instantly became interested in the idea of connecting unsuspecting passersby with art and first experimented with the idea of installing sculptures in the streets of Hayward, CA. At the same time I began studying Banksy’s stencil technique.
I discovered my passion for illustration at a very young age, but for the first time I began to evolve from one who solely reproduced art, to someone who expressed himself artistically, conceptually and critically through original thought provoking art.
I found interest in the balance of life, or lack or, inspired by the film Koyaanisqatsi, both environmentally as well as socially. I explored the coexistence of the homeless community and the affluent business community of downtown San Francisco.
During my college years, I became comfortable considering myself an artist and more importantly, I embraced the growing desire within to share my thoughts through my art.
