Art Gives Me The Power To Become A Child Once More

I spent years believing a line from the Breakfast club. "When you grow up your heart dies." I remember a conversation with my father in which I was discussing changing my college major from English Education to Art. He looked up at me tired from work and replied, "Do something that makes money." I lingered over those words for some time debating my choices. I understood his reasoning for such a response. I grew up in a household that lived paycheck to paycheck with my father being the only supporter. When I realized I had nothing to lose and that, if art never became something that "made me money" I became free. As humans we are always questioning why we do things. I do not question why I make art. I just make art. It is something I have to do, it has to be a part of my existence or I do in many senses cease to exist at all. A child never questions why they play. They just know as all living things do that to play is to be free to create and imagine is to feel alive. When we become adults we suddenly start searching for this happiness this sense of completion in our lives. We sometimes don't realize that we never lost it to begin with. We just let it go dormant, like a bear that is in hibernation we can reawaken it.

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Dimensions: 5x6ft
Collage on Canvas
Created with Black and white Renaissance era prints, Landscaping and horse photos.
Time to complete: Two weeks

Dimensions: 6x4ft
Collage on Canvas
Created using Iraq and Vietnam war photography books. The standing solider consists of just Vietnam photos while the solider he is holding is only Iraq photos.
Time to complete: Three weeks

Dimensions: 9x5ft
Collage on Canvas
Created using various art history, astronomy and snake prints.
Time to complete: Three weeks

Dimensions: 24x16in
Collage on mat board
Created using only motorcycle magazines
Time to complete: Three days

Dimensions: 24x36in
Collage on mat board
Part of my Astronomical Anatomy series
Created using Grey's Anatomy textbook and astronomy prints.
Time to complete: One week

Dimensions: 24x18in
Collage on mat board
Created using black and white art history prints.
Time to complete: One Week

Dimensions: 24x36in
Collage on mat board
Part of my Astronomical Anatomy series
Created using Grey's Anatomy textbook and astronomy prints.
Time to complete: One week

Dimensions: 7x5ft
Collage on Paper
Created using various renaissance prints, landscape photography and art history books.
Time to complete: Three weeks

Dimensions: 24x18in
Collage on mat board
Created using astronomy and renaissance prints.
Time to complete: One week

Dimensions:(2 24x12in) (1 20x16in)
Three piece triptych on canvas
Created using the outline of Da Vinci's anatomical and floral sketches with renaissance, astronomy and art history prints.
Time to complete: Two Weeks