I’m Officially Published!

Gallery Cero, based in Miami, Florida, reached out to me about participating in a new project. They created an online gallery showcasing one artist from each state, highlighting work created during the COVID-19 lockdown. I was honored to be chosen as the featured artist for Kansas.

Shortly after the website launched, the gallery contacted me again, asking if I would allow my work to be included in a large coffee table book featuring all the selected artists. Of course, I agreed.

Check out their website to learn more about the book or to order your copy!

https://gallerycero.com/the-great-american-paint-in

This artwork is part of my extensive collection of mixed media collages that I’ve crafted over the years. The creative process involved sketching the figure onto a prepared surface and refining the composition. The collage materials included antique postcards, maps, sheet music, vintage National Geographic magazines, and various ephemera. Carefully cutting, ripping, and pasting these pieces onto the surface, I arranged them to enhance specific areas of the composition and add texture to others. Once content with the collage arrangement, I employed oil paint to bring forth the apparition of a figure.

The inspiration behind the depicted figure stems from a captivating New Orleans French Quarter tale about the Maharaja, renowned for hosting extravagant parties that ultimately concluded in mystery and tragedy.

I created this piece a few months ago. I was commissioned by a couple that had previously purchased 2 of my other ghost oil paintings. It now resides in the home of a Jazz performer in the Kansas City area.