artwork

“Big Eyes' is one of my most cherished pieces for a number of reasons. Primarily, it’s the first painting I ever made prints of. One could say this was the launching point of my art career. The first painting i'd ever done that felt like it was anything like realism. I remember when i was finishing the second eye on the painting, a friend of mine was at my studio. After asking if it was ok, he pulled out his phone and started recording video while I continued painting. He seemed to be almost amazed by what I was doing, while I was mentally beating myself up thinking about what to add next. One of the first times I actually recognized the duality of my art. The ability to make one person feel one way, awe or amazement, while simultaneously torturing another, even if that other person was me, made me appreciate the piece more, and appreciate my talent. The other reason it holds so much importance to me is that of all of my paintings, it was my mom's favorite. I remember when she said that to me, I immediately knew what the next gift I was going to give her was. It played the centerpiece for her living room for the rest of her life.