Artist Blog

In 2017 Brian and I were on a walk in our neighborhood when we came across an estate sale. We have always enjoyed browsing sales and antiques, so we decided to look around. We found a large stack of sheet music with about 50 different booklets comprised of hymns, holiday music, and classics. We imagined people gathering around the piano to sing and dance while someone joyfully played these songs. Many of them were dated between 1920-1940 but were in great shape and some even looked brand new. I grabbed the pile of music, unsure at that point what I...

How did I come up with the idea of painting on maps? I get asked that question all the time at the shows we do, and I tell people I’m not the first person to paint on maps. Native Americans traditionally painted their narratives on the skins of animal hides. When Europeans came to America with paper, in particular ledger paper, it quickly became the surface of choice for the native artists to tell their stories. I’ve seen other artists use maps or parts of maps as backgrounds somewhat hidden behind their art and was always attracted to the idea....

To our friends, family, and customers,If you asked us three months ago what we would be doing this summer, we would have told you that our weekends would be packed full of art shows and our weekdays would be spent covered in paint while creating more artwork. We never dreamed our summer would look completely different than those in summers past. Like many other small businesses, due to COVID-19, we came to a fork in the road. It was March 12th and we were in Scottsdale, Arizona with a van full of artwork, getting ready to set up our booth...

Commissions can be one of the most intimidating but also one of the most rewarding work I do. Usually I make a piece I like and know that some day someone else will like it too and want to take home. The fear factor comes in when I’m trying to please a customer who has seen and possibly already has a some of my art. They can also be the most rewarding too because this person liked my work enough to take a chance on me making a custom piece for a usually prominent place in their home. The biggest...