Your work often combines historical imagery with modern elements, how do you decide which stories from the past to bring into the present through your art? 

I'm constantly acquiring vintage imagery through sources like books, magazines, printed advertising, matchbooks, postcards, etc. I'm particularly drawn to images, brands, themes, etc. which have largely been forgotten over time, or perhaps were more obscure to begin with. Ultimately imagery needs to speak to me on both a visual and a story telling level, and when an image does both then it definitely sets the creative wheels into motion and I start visualizing a use for that imagery. Although it's not really a conscious plan, I do think I'm exploring the concept of time throughout all of my work, so imagery which conjures the contemplation of time definitely speaks to me the loudest.

You have such a distinct style! What sparked your journey into blending textures and layers in such a bold way?

I travel a lot around the American West and I'm definitely drawn to dilapidated structures such as old buildings, billboards, vehicles, even nondescript walls in alleyways. The textures and colors they take on shows their deterioration over time, but also their resilience, which is inspiring to me and it definitely finds its way into my work. The other thing I would say is, a lot of my work incorporates silk screen which is a fairly structured way of placing an image onto the canvas. By blending textures and layers it allows me to also work in a more loose way that focuses on energy and spontaneity. I'm often drawn to things which involve both art and science. So the use of structured silk screen and loose painting is a balanced process that makes a lot of sense to my mind.

There’s a sense of nostalgia and modernity in your pieces. How do you strike that balance between honoring the past and pushing boundaries with contemporary art?

I enjoy the challenge of taking these old forgotten things and trying to inject them into our modern conversations and contemporary spaces. After all, they were forgotten and discarded for a reason. But here I am insisting that they still have a small place in our current lives. There's not necessarily a deliberate process or recipe for achieving this. I mostly try to trust my innate sensibility. It's more of a "feel" than anything. I want my works to have a heavy enough nod to the past, while also conveying the fresh energy that I feel when I'm in the flow of working. The juxtaposition of the old and new is a real challenge but it's very rewarding when I feel I've successfully joined the two.

What’s the process like in your studio, are you more of a methodical planner or do you let inspiration take over and see where it leads?

It's a bit of both. There is a certain amount of structuring to the idea to begin with, but once I've begun the piece I'm always hopeful that the energy and inspiration of the moment will ultimately elevate the original idea into something more unique than I could have planned for. The more I've learned about myself as an artist the more confident I've become in trusting spontaneous decision making. Oftentimes I get so caught up in making creative decisions on the fly that I eventually have to step back and take stock of what I've just done!

If you could have one of your pieces hanging in any location in the world, where would it be and why? 

Tokyo, Japan. It's a dream of mine to have a show there and I'm currently taking the initial steps to explore how to make that happen. I'm fascinated by the differences in our cultures and I would love the chance to show my work there just to see what the response of Japanese people would be.

What kind of emotions or thoughts do you hope people experience when they first see your work? Do you have a particular reaction that you aim for? 

I don't have any particular reaction that I aim for from others, other than that I hope that it's different from my own. I'm a big believer that artwork with a certain depth should evoke different responses from different people. Honestly, if people see exactly what I see in a painting then it's probably a bit flat and needs more depth. I absolutely love when someone shares their interpretation of a piece and it's nothing that I would have thought of myself. I tend to equate a lot of things to music. If there's a song which could only be taken at face value and nobody could interpret it differently then I think it'd likely lack depth and wouldn't be an important part of people's lives for very long. But if people could see it differently and adapt the song to have relevance to their own lives then I think that song, or that work of art, would likely have more longevity and would remain compelling and meaningful over time.