I was born among the briars & brambles in backwoods of Klamath Falls, Oregon, I grew up with little knowledge of the bourgeois big city fine arts. So, I dove into the recesses of my own imagination and embraced the fables and folklore that fascinated me. With little to do but draw, I did exactly that. Now older, things haven’t changed much. The stories I created as a child are still present in my paintings. With diligence and hard work, my crude stick figures became the more clearly defined images you see today.
Broken boards, oil and acrylic paints, charcoal pastels, plastic resign, and melted waxes are among the mediums I use. Then they are beaten, brushed, sanded, polished, and hung. Most would cringe at the idea of scratching or sanding something they spent hours upon hours painting, but that’s my favorite part - creating the appearance that this wasn’t made in the 21st century. Behind every scratch and claw mark is a story waiting to be told.

When Ken approached me with project chaboo I felt the chaboo was a finished piece as it is so I wanted to do something that is attached to it in a symbiotic relationship. I thought it would be really cool to do something similar to this whale I made out of plywood built like those dinosaur toys for kids.  Combining that with the prevalent nautical theme in my work I came up with ship chaboo.

I like collaborating when its completely different than what I normally work with. Its challenging and educationally at the same time. Makes you think about art in a different light to learn about how an artist creates. I especially enjoyed painting on wood because its really porous- the way i paint is with light washes so its more like a stain.

I always have these crazy ideas and most people turn me down immediately but ken has been the first person that has followed through with it and actually gone beyond my original image.