a little about me..
ABOUT THE ART...Art has always been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. In a family where creativity was in abundance, it was normal for bundles of paper to suddenly disappear or just "accidentally" find their way in my room.  Inevitably, I started off as a self-taught artist, learning as much as I could and being exposed to many different areas of the art world. One area that made a heavy impact was comics. Being an 80's child, it wasn't unusual for books to have consistent and perfect marriages of great art and great stories where kids' imaginations could run wild. Up until high school, comic books provided a perfect creative outlet, and I think it was from there that my passion for fantasy and scifi grew.

I've always found alternative universes fascinating, and being the book addict that I am, I picked up anything I could involving elves, angels, demons, vamps--you get the picture. Like comics, I imagined myself being right there with the characters, and sharing their adventures as they battle against harrowing odds. The idea of the archtypical Good vs. Evil stuck with me through college and finally through art school, where they finally wiggled into a prominent position in my art.


CREATIVE PROCESS..There are numerous factors that come into play when
I create something. Sometimes I'll catch a piece of music that lights my
imagination, sometimes I'll read a passage that I just need to draw or paint.
I go through a variety of emotions when I create something, and hopefully
those emotions shine through in the finished piece.  In many cases, I enjoy
creating characters who appear as the result of something significant,
leaving the viewer responsible for creating the story. Of course, all of my
artworks have a story, but it's much more fun and creative for someone to
imagine what it is, ;)

The technical side behind the artworks is fairly simple, and you can find
most of it under the FAQ section. But for those of you who are too lazy.... *G*
I work with three tools: paper, paint, and pencil. Some people have asked
me if I do digital--I do, but I'm currently Wacom-less, so until then I work
primarily traditional. Formats for images range from itty bitty (6" x 8") to
oversized (3' x 4'). The most comfortable and manageable sizes I like to
work in is 8" x 10" to 18" x 24". During the beginning stages, I'll jot down
several thumbnails to work out the technicalities, such as composition
and whatnot, then lightly sketch the drawing on the watercolor sheet. If it's
a complicated drawing, I'll usually sketch it out on vellum or transfer paper
and transfer it on the surface with a lightbox or using a sheet grahite
or sanguine coated paper.

CREATIVE INSPIRATIONS...Major artistic inspirations and influences include the works of the Brothers Hildebrandt, Brian Froud, Michael Whelan, Jim Lee, Leonardo da Vinci, Sir Edward Burne Jones, Rembrandt, Mucha, James Gurney, Dean Cornwell and NC Wyeth.
ABOUT THE ARTIST...I was born and raised in Hawaii in the Leeward side of Oahu. I'm a '96 graduate of Moanalua (local people will understand this), and for three years I bounced around between UH Manoa, LCC and HCC.  Eventually I transferred to the Academy of Art College where I recieved my formal training in Illustration.  I've recently moved back to Hawaii and have begun
working as a freelance artist.  I have completed several private commissions as well as illustrations for Fantasy Flight Games. In my spare time I like to read, surf the web, catch up on sleep and spend time with friends and family. I'm also a heavy movie addict, so don't be surprised if you see an extra column in the NEWS section where I oogle over RoTK or X2. I enjoy learning about world mythology, celtic knotwork and sharing stories and tips with fellow artists. I've been known to have an isatiable sweet tooth, and if I wasn't so bent on starving myself for being an artist, I'd most likely become a chocolate maker or a pastry chef (Cheesecake....mmmm....).  I have a dog named Cookie (go figure) and my favorite cartoon is Thundercats.