How to Varnish an Oil Painting

Here's a short condensed tutorial on how I varnish OIL PAINTINGS:

1. prep canvas by taping edges( light adhesive painters tape) if you don't want varnish to get on certain areas of a canvas

2. make sure canvas is touch dry (if you use fast drying mediums like liquin original alongside darker colors it can be touch dry in 3-5 days while if you use slow drying mediums like linseed oil or stand oil with light colors like titanium white it can take 7-14 days).

3. choose Gamblin gamvar varnish type: gloss(high sheen and strong contrast), satin (gentle sheen muted contrasts), matte (flat and less reflective so it helps with reducing glare but does not provide strong colors) I use this Gamvar because it allows for the oil paints to cure while still providing a unified sheen and protective coat of varnish. Traditional varnishes can only be applied after 6 months once the painting has fully cured. Artists have deadlines and timelines so using Gamvar is a great solution.

4. lint roll gently by pushing the roller around (don't apply pressure so you don't accidentally lift off paint)

5. pour varnish into a separate container with a lid to dip your brush into (don't pour varnish directly on canvas).

6. use soft bristle brush (no need for expensive varnish brushes, I use cheap $4 brushes link below) and add varnish a little at a time for a thin even coat (the varnish should be uniform and not be able to form pools around edges or textured areas.

7. Only apply varnish on a flat surface, don't varnish paintings standing upright since varnish will dribble and create unevenness.

8. check to make sure there are no hairs, you can lift them off with the edge of a brush or use tweezers. (I usually wear a hat and tuck my shirt in so that I don't get fuzz or hairs on the canvas

9. place canvas in a room with no air circulation so that it can dry in a dust-free environment.

10. I wrap my varnish brush in Saran Wrap so that no dirt or dust settle on the bristles. I can use this same brush for varnishing since gamvar reactivates.

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Art Supplies used in video:

GAMBLIN GAMVAR VARNISH: https://www.dickblick.com/products/ga...

CHEAP 4$ BRUSH: https://www.dickblick.com/products/bl...

Commissions, Commissions, Commissions

I dedicated the month of January and the first half of February to completing commissions. Sometimes commissions can be my worst enemy and sometimes they can be my greatest ally. It honestly all depends on the scope of the project and how much interest I have on the subject matter. I tackled 2 seascapes and and a landscape scene of South Africa and I can honestly say it was a lot of fun. I had just gotten back from spending a month in California and was finding my way back to a routine in Boston. Having these commissions helped me oil the wheels and find my way again. It’s rare I take on commissions but a few videos of mine went viral on tiktok and I was inundated with commission requests and a hand picked a few of the ones that were the right fit for the kind of work I wanted to be making!

Commissions:

If you find yourself wanting a painting of mine but haven’t seen the right one and have an idea that aligns with the style and concepts I usually work on, feel free to reach out with an inquiry about timelines, price-list, and options available to make your vision a reality.

SOLO SHOW AT GALLERY MAR, CARMEL (AUG 29th 5-7 PM)

I have my first solo show at Gallery Mar, Carmel located on the West side of Dolores Street, between Ocean and Seventh Avenue. Opening night goes from 5-7 PM on April 29th, however the show will be up for 3 weeks for viewing. I’m so pleased to be able to showcase what I’ve been working on over the course of the last 4 months. I haven’t really stopped painting since I quit my job at Post Ranch Inn last December so all my energy has been redirected to making this new collection. I hope to see you all there! I’ll post updates once it all comes together!

Underwater Playlist

I'll just go out there and say it. This is music I play when I’m alone. It’s stuff I’m embarrassed to share, but to be honest it’s the kind of music that matters most to me. It’s what I listen to when I want to disappear for a little while.

Underwater

to disappear, if only for a little while

Summer Playlist 2020

slow down

Struggling artistically through Quarantine

I know I’ve been posting here and there randomly throughout quarantine but honestly, the past 3 months have been kinda the worst when it comes to being an artist. Surprisingly I’ve been making lots of sales, mostly from selling work I’ve made in the last 3 years but when it comes to creating new work, I sorta hit a wall.

Earlier this year, I came back to California to gather myself and find some solid footing but instead I was welcomed by quarantine. The first month was awesome! I was painting all day, going on walks, just catching my breath with a much-needed break. Then I fell into a slump. Stopped painting, exercising, reading, writing, photographing, learning, or doing any of the things that I know are good for me and help me up when I’m feeling down. Instead, my head decided it was time to hide out and disappear.

A part of me found solace in this depressed and disconnected state even though I knew it wasn’t a reflection of me or something that would benefit. I think I just needed a break from being me. I didn’t want to be someone people depended on or needed anything from. For a second there I even doubted if I wanted to be an artist. I know it was “the funk” spitting out all these outlandish thoughts but the last few weeks were tough.

I took 3 days to myself where I did absolutely nothing. Then I put down the Netflix, put away the video games, phased out the endless scrolling, and shut down the negative self-talk. I started going on runs and doing home workouts. I started painting for 30 minutes. Then for an hour and yesterday, I painted for 3 hours! I find myself smiling more and looking forward to my days. I think it’s time I started making goals again. I know the state of the world isn’t ideal and I’m not where I want to be right now but this is what I got so I’m going to start from here and make the most of it. I’m ready.

Gouache Studies

I’m working on some larger pieces from the “Window” collection alongside some seascapes and figurative works. Moving small and attacking these little 6 x 4 in gouache paintings has kept me busy and entertained as I wait for layers to dry on my oil paintings. Some of these have been either sold or added to my shop so feel free to check it out if you’d like to get your hands on one.

Sometimes I keep little memorabilia by putting the washi tape on the back that I used to make the borders, or pieces of my paper palette and paper towels used to clean my brushes. Just having some fun! I think it adds to the paintings even though it sits on the back. It feels like a little inside joke.

"Isolation" - a series of gouache paintings during quarantine

My intention with this series is to capture the feelings and mood revolving around this worldwide isolation. The idea to pursue a series on this topic was more or less prescribed to me, rather than discovered.

My curiousity from seeing other artists online work with various mediums led me to unboxing Holbein gouache and placing paints on my paper palette. I’ve also started painting in natural light. It’s a bit of a challenge when the days go by so quickly and the sun begins to drop. Colors warm up and strong shadows get cast over the paper. Nonetheless, pursuing this series titled “isolation” has been a treat.

Instead of spending hours on end and even weeks working on the same large oil paintings, being able to work quickly and in a smaller space allows me time to finish in a sit down session(for now). Gouache is a peculiar substance that I’m learning to maneuver. The way it layers and dries is so bizarre that it feels like a science experiment every time I put paint down. “I wonder what color it will dry as?” is the little game I’ve been playing. When people ask what gouache is, I usually refer to it as the lovechild of acrylics and watercolors. It can be both translucent and opaque depending on the ratio of water.

During these troubling times, being an artist is something I’m so grateful to be. I have a place where I can redirect my thoughts, feelings, and ideas, so that they don’t stay trapped inside me, buzzing around bugging me all day. I invest long hours into my craft and expel my energies into them until I feel there is nothing else I can possibly do with them. I rest and wake up to a blank canvas that I spend my days trying to unravel, understand and express.

For the inspired artist, quarantine may seem like a gift from above while to the artist struggling to find their rhythm, inspiration or personal space to work, this could very much be a living nightmare. It’s not necessary to be a professional, to have a style, to already have a clientele or even to make good art. Now is the time to experiment. To try new mediums, remove boundaries that limit what’s possible, and to say why not?

I suggest that even in a state of fear, panic, anxiety, frustration, and confusion, creation is the meditation you deserve and need. Reflect, introspect, dream or do whatever you must to discover where to invest your energy, but please, don’t let this quarantine bring you down lower than it already has. Instead of taking in negative news, create art and share it, because that’s the kind of news that I look forward to each day. It’s time to take a stand. It’s time to create.

Studio Tour

I just moved to Rochester, New York from my small hometown Pacific Grove, back in California. I'm starting to settle into the apartment and getting all set up in the new studio space. It's time to get back to work with my paints and canvases and I'm so excited to have a place to make some art! Making To-Do Lists helps me set myself up for the day by offering a game plan with actionable steps to both long-term and short-term goals. By having it all laid out and written down in my moleskine journals, I can see what needs to be done, what to prioritize and what is really on my mind, rather than having to ask myself all day or spin around in circles overthinking and feeling overwhelmed. To-Do Lists help me focus my attention on my work and it paves the way to my success!

"Off the Grid" - Big Sur Book

This is a prototype of an 11 in x 8.25 in book featuring 175 pages of my writing & matte colored images, which is bound with a smoke colored fabric hardcover and a waxed cover dust jacket. It’s filled with journal entries, poems, photography, paintings and memories of my experiences in Big Sur.

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I made this book last summer while maintaining my full-time job and pursuing art. I made 1 initial copy which amounted to a grand total of $200 after shipping.

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From this copy, my girlfriend Madeline, a talented writer and editor, helped make adjustments to which I printed out 3 more copies to give as gifts for another grand total of $500.

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I made some additional final edits and printed out 2 more copies for $400, which I’m now using as a showcase item in manager meetings to collaborate on a book for them. I’m using the book as a conversation starter as well as to showcase my talents and give them an idea of what I’m capable of offering for editorial, design and publishing work.

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A personal project which started out as a fun idea for family and friends is now turning not only into a product I can offer for sale through my shop but also physical locations like book stores and gift shops. It’s a product that can be used to capture my vision, express it and do so while storytelling and inspiring. The art can turn into money from the sales of the book but also now can be used as leverage in meetings as a skill set.

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Turning something like journaling, documenting my experiences and practices, painting, photography, poetry and creative practices can be connected and compiled into a book people can hold and feel.

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Information taken from my Instagram, my notebooks and my notes on my iPhone are what allowed me to create this.

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Now I’m in the development phase of this project to figure out details, final touches, adjustments and changes that are needed before doing larger scale printing.

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I’m speaking to a printing company and awaiting samples to proceed forward and make this book available at a price point worthy and affordable for my audience.

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Beau Bernier Frank

Captain + Stoker Pop-Up!

Here I have some small prints ($25), large prints ($60), my Big Sur inspired book “Off the Grid” and some abstract ocean paintings with “Mr. Bixby” and a circle window piece.

A work in progress at my easel for the day!

This was the first time I’ve done a pop-up and the first time I painted in front of onlookers which was both fun and terrifying. It wasn’t as scary as I thought it was going to be but I suppose it’s normal to overthink it and get nervous before a new experience. I hope to do many more in the future :)

Post Ranch Inn Show!

- A dream of mine came true.

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I work as a server at a restaurant on a property with a gallery space. The reason I decided to work there was to feature my art in the gallery and to serve nights at the restaurant.

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3 years ago that was only a dream. At the time, I turned down a serving job 10 minutes away from my house to instead work at Post Ranch in Big Sur as a busser, which requires an hour+ commute there and another hour back each day. I worked double shifts at first, arriving at work at 7:30 am in a blue shirt for breakfast & lunch, then changing into a black shirt to food run until I left at 9:45pm. Eventually I was promoted to lunch service and instead worked from 10:30am to 9:45pm. Then I picked up my first dinner shift 6 months later when someone called in sick. I’d cover every single dinner shift that was put up by my coworkers until finally they began putting me on the  schedule to work nights.

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While I worked my way through the ranks, I was also continuing to paint in my free time. I created a 6 piece collection for a restaurant in Carmel. Once the new restaurant opened with my artwork on the walls, I began picking up 2 shifts a week there while continuing my usual work load at Post Ranch. I somehow managed to keep painting between the 2 restaurant jobs.

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I pestered Post Ranch to feature my work and was turned down incessantly. I didn’t have work that fit with their aesthetic so the no’s became a weekly habit for an entire year...so I stopped reaching out and quietly continued painting in my studio.

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2 years after my initial hire at Post Ranch, the art curator at the property approached me and inquired about my latest work. He asked me to bring it in and he placed it on the walls immediately. I sold 3 pieces so a couple months ago he asked me to put together a show.

Yesterday I hung up my art on the walls, walked up the hill, put on my apron, and worked a dinner shift as usual.

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No one really knows the story behind the scenes. They see only the surface of the canvas. A series of brushstrokes and colors.

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Hard work, loyalty, practice, curiosity, persistence, love and a vision I had 3 years ago made this real.

The Trajectory of my Art

3 most life changing experiences that resulted in me finding my voice in art.

1. Not going to college and living abroad

2. Developing an autoimmune disease and hitting rock bottom

3. Healing through painting and becoming an emerging artist

find me on social:

http://www.instagram.com/beaubfrank

http://www.beaubernierfrank.com

http://www.facebook.com/beaubernierfrank

Sold a Painting!

- Last night had one of those surreal moments that I'll never forget. I had gone to work at the restaurant feeling pretty exhausted from not having slept much and for having had to wake up early to get art professionally photographed.
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Since I'm a server, I was running around all over the place, taking orders, pouring wine, checking in with guests, food running and clearing plates. In the middle of service I was tapped on the shoulder by one of my coworkers saying that a table wanted to speak with me when I got a chance.
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When my section settled down and I had a moment, I walked on over to a lovely couple I had served a few nights before. The first thing they said when I came by to say hi was "I know you're busy so I don't want to take up too much of your time, but we bought your painting "Solitude" this morning."
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It's very surreal when I come to think of it. One of the main reasons I began working where I work was because I wanted to feature my art on the property and work there as a server. I started out bussing, then ran food, worked lunch service and now I'm a full-time night server. It took 2 years before the art curator agreed to showcase my work and here I am, fulfilling my goals. I want to say a big thank you out to the universe to all the people who helped make this dream possible. 😊🙏🏻❤️ -

Good Pain

Sometimes I feel so far away. My mind can’t help but wander to all those places I hope to travel to. All those distant worlds. All those paintings on the walls. All those conversations with the ones I love. All those things that make me smile or laugh and for a split second, make me feel a sense of belonging and alignment. The things that remind me that this matters.

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How can I make my life be about these things rather than the things that make me feel so far away from who I am. How do I remain faithful to myself when the disconnect between how I feel and how I want to feel is wider than I can handle.

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Dissatisfaction conquers me and for a moment I am truly lost.

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It’s a peculiar feeling, almost like a bitter after taste or a dry throat that can’t cough up the right words. A knot in the stomach. A tightness constricting the lungs, suffocating and stealing breaths. It’s staying in bed until noon. To hide away and wait for it all to go away or maybe just disappear. Dissatisfaction is the enemy of gratitude and the companion to hopelessness. When it happens to me, it’s rockbottom, panic attacks, sweating from the stress, yelling fuck at the top of my lungs in my car while driving or crying after a hard day at work. It’s feeling trapped in a prison of my own making. 

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There have been moments in my life that brought me to my knees. Moments when I didn’t know who I was anymore. These experiences questioned my very existence leading me down a path that I feared I wouldn’t be able to escape. Life goes on, even if I can’t keep up with the pace. But each time is different. Sometimes the pain came unexpectedly through a surprise attack or it took a more direct approach like a head on collision.  In other instances, it was a slow creeping sensation that trickled in leaving me feeling like I was possessed. Taken over by the voices telling me how my world is ending, how I’m going to die, how I am unworthy, unnecessary and unlovable. I let my environment and circumstances dictate who I am and where I go. 

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I get lost.

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Finding my way back is like pressing the restart button. Each becomes a beginning, but with a new perspective, new options and new questions. The pain, struggle and suffering become my teachers. Lessons learned. Revelations of sorts. 

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It’s good pain.

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Reminders of what was and what can be if I’m not careful. That a chapter has ended and new one has begun. When I hit my lowest point—when I am defeated and broken, hope reaches out and I become open to the greatest change. Maybe I don’t ask for any of it but in many ways, the things that can’t be changed end up changing me. Because deep down, I’m more resilient and adaptable than I realize. Deep down, I want to find myself. I want to succeed. I want to love and respect the person I see in the mirror and I want to see that person become the best version possible.  

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I am enduring but a flicker in time. I am allowed to feel whatever it is I am feeling but I can’t let it consume me. As the narrator and main character of this story, I get to write each chapter as I experience it. I can choose to stay where I am, or try and find my way back home. To recenter, readjust my approach, heal and turn my scars into strengths that motivate me to chase my dreams and self actualize. Even though life isn’t as I imagined it to be, and even if I am weak at times, I am still strong enough to endure, grow, change, and become the person I have always wanted to become. 

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Breaking the negative feedback loop of beating myself, letting go of high expectations or perfectionism, accepting the devastation and allowing the hurtful emotions to flow through and not remain is the most difficult of all. Softening my approach to how I treat my mind, body, and spirit by returning to my roots and spending time with my thoughts as well as by reaching out to friends and family for support is what has guided me back to love. I give myself permission to be vulnerable and to feel all those things I need to feel and say all those things I need to say.  To take the heavy burden of life and to ask for help so that the pain can be alleviated through empathy, human connection and touch. It is simply a right of passage and an expression of what it means to be human. At the end of the day, we are all just trying to figure it out.

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Life is both beautiful and harsh at the very same time and it’s only by spending time with the ones I love and who love me that I am reminded of the marvel that is living. This is not a journey to take on alone, at least not when everything seems to be falling apart.

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I am so much more than just my pain, my struggles, my shame or my insecurities.  There is a light inside me that dims, flickers, or shuts off when life gets unbearable.  Sometimes it’s a person who takes away my power and turns it off. Sometimes life happens and turns it off. Sometimes I make mistakes or forget my purpose and I turn it off myself.  It can stay dark for seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and at it’s most insidious—years. 

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Sometimes the pain people carry is too much to handle. It’s enough to make them sad or numb until they die. It’s the greatest tragedy, that of missed connection, missed opportunity, missed belonging, missed calling and missed gratitude. 

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To stay alive is challenging, but to keep the soul alive is the hardest. Figuring out who am, what my purpose is, and how to design my life has been the greatest adventure of all.  It can’t always be pretty, enjoyable, delicious, sexy or exciting. The heartbreak is necessary to understand the full spectrum of emotion, contrast the light, and to appreciate the good times when they come. But even with all it’s imperfections, I can’t help but feel optimistic. I’m not going to be here forever so while I still remain, I want to make my life a work of art, painted with love and attention, filled with beauty, grace, gratitude, depth, texture, vision and all the things that remind me that this matters.

7th Annual Supersonic Invitational at Spoke Art NYC

- I'm truly speechless. I had no expectations of New York before coming here and I must honestly say, I have been treated with the utmost respect and kindness. I'm still trying to process how lucky I am.

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I've been enjoying the museums, galleries, book stores, coffee shops and ramen 😉 but the highlight of this trip are the people I've met. I'm blown away by their openness, generosity, and refreshing perspectives on how they see the world. In a short amount of time I've been welcomed and greeted with smiles and even in the hustle and bustle stage that is New York, people have taken the time to slow down for me so I can catch up! To stop what they are doing and lend me a hand with directions on the subway, to listen to me talk about the things I care about or to just be real & authentic as they share their stories. I'm incredibly inspired and thoroughly enjoying this cultural hub with an affinity for creativity.

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I would also like to take the time to say thank you to Marta, Maiya, and Julia for hosting me in the most tasteful apartment I have ever laid eyes on. I'd like to Thank Zach, Jen, and Raul for creating a magnificent show last night. I'm so grateful to have been a part of the 7th Annual Supersonic Invitational at Spoke Art with some of my all-time favorite artists. What a blessing!

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And to everyone who came out to support the show or root for me here online, I want to thank you as well. You are as much a part of this journey as I am and I can't take all the credit. Behind every painting and every word I say, I've been influenced by people like you who take the time to care, reach out, support and contribute to keeping me accountable and aligned with my goals! You've become a part of me.

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As a side note, I'm bundled up and cozy cause I've also never experienced cold like this since 2002. #doublesocks #doublescarves #itsworthit💯

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Still loving every second of this city! ❤️-

How to Overcome an Art Block

I thought I'd start off this year by answering one of the most asked questions I get. It's a difficult topic to address and one of the hardest to solve. Mostly because what I'm about to share is controversial to some and not a beautifully packaged answer most creatives want to hear. This is not a short list response or quick fix post. I'm not here to tell you it's easy. I'm not here to sugarcoat. I'm here to tell you what I know from a humble opinion amongst a sea of many who are probably more capable and more of an expert than I am about this subject. So before I get into it, this is my warning.
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One of the major struggles I as a creative have had to learn to overcome to produce the kind of content I connect with, is that of the art block. Quite frankly, I'm not a huge fan of the term. It ignites an image of a physical barrier like a tall brick wall with barbed wire fence, or the form of total paralysis in an idea-less artist staring at a blank canvas.
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The art block is often depicted as an external force, an impregnable fortress guarding promises of loot and treasure. A devilish character with no origin story, forged in the name of stopping anything cool from happening, on a die hard mission to kill dreams and not give a f**k either.
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I used to think that art blocks purposefully held me back from accessing the flow of creativity--Like it chose me & I seemed to be the only one who didn't have the gate code.
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Well, first things first, I am very transparent and blatantly admit to going through these temporary phases where no work is created. That is to say, I've figured out how to get over an art block through a method I use on a daily basis and this only happened recently within the last year or two. It wasn't until I reframed my approach and recognized that 99% of art blocks are self-induced, that I was able to challenge my perception of the definition of an art block and stand up to it, to face it head on.
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So how do I defend my creativity to overcome such a ruthless cause? I lean into the art block and ask it these questions:
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"What are you? Where did you come from" and lastly, "Why are you here?"

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Art blocks are shape-shifters, capable of appearing under many names and in any situation. For now just to simplify, I'll give 3 major types of art blocks I find to be tricky and sometimes not all that easy to spot. The body, mind & spirit are all connected and creativity is the element that binds and intertwines them so that an artist can do what he/she does best--Make art! From these 3 major sources for creativity, different types of art blocks may appear to impede the flow of work.
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Body: Sometimes health and basic necessities can distract creative work but I'd say that the majority of art blocks are mental or spiritual. Biological functions can be a major art block like trying to work when I'm hungry(checking the fridge 6 times to see if anything new appeared since the last visit). Is it dehydration, or total exhaustion from non-related art projects that are zapping the creative juices? Maybe I need a nap? Listening to what my body wants and requires can get me started off in the right direction.
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Mind: A lot of the blame is usually associated with a lack of ideas but I'd highly disagree. Every day little micro-ideas and micro-inspirations appear left and right. They come in the form of bursts of dopamine from naturally occurring curiosities like exposure to novelty, interests, hobbies, sports, tv, music, podcasts, conversations. What really stops me every time is fear--This voice inside my head telling me to stop being creative. But that's impossible--Just the act of living is creative.
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Spirit: In some cases, It can a be a spiritual art block, like refusing to surrender control to an external source--An unexplainable force like the Universe, God, Hope, Faith, Magic, the Process or whatever you want to call it. This is something that can only be felt and trusted for its power to work. Combine this belief with an attitude to move forward and rely on not only one's own set of abilities & values but that of another is what I call realistic optimism.
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Asking specific detailed inquisitive questions can sometimes lead to some awesome, helpful and insightful answers. So, are you willing to make time for your art? 

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The other art block I've recognized as playing a major role in preventing art from being made is that of external forces. In simpler terms--the environment.
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Major influencers in how a creative develops is the situations in which he/she subjugates themselves to. In essence, we are all a product of our environments.
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These last few years, I've surrounded myself with people who encourage and support me on my journey as an emerging artist. So for instance, when I initially couldn't find my tribe in my hometown, I travelled to discover it, or when I had nowhere to turn to talk about the things I care about, I turned to my journals or expressed myself online. I reached out to connect with other like-minded individuals who care for my well being and push me to improve and pursue a lifestyle that aligns with who I am as both a person and artist.
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When I felt uncomfortable in my workspace, I invested out of pocket to design a studio space that helped me stay focused on my vision and goals in life.
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When I felt unhappy with my job's working conditions I quit to go to another job where I felt more respected and appreciated. When I felt disatisfied with the kind of money I was making in a position, I worked to improve and gain more knowledge to make more money.
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When I didn't like the life I was living, I made changes to make a life I love.
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My life is messy and full of challenges but I'm flowing with it. Obstacles, art blocks, struggles and all those things that cause pain, they are as much a part of my story as the successes, milestones or paintings I create.
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I am here. I am present and no art block is too big to not overcome. -

The Value of Time

- Today marks the last day of 2017. If I am to be completely honest with you, I don’t pay much attention to the date, let alone the time. Whether the sun is up or down, whether it’s a weekday or weekend, whether its winter, spring, summer or fall. I treat each and every day the same. The whole concept of time doesn’t really apply to me since I’m bad at listening to society’s definition of a biological clock, or refuse to acknowledge grey hairs as an emblem of old age, or the notion of the successful young archetype typically associated with early and effortless success. Well to whoever created these supposed cultural ideals and norms, I’d like to introduce you to my middle finger as I walk away laughing to go focus on my dreams. I can’t afford to waste a single second of my time and energy on that sort of nonsense. The only time that matters to me is the kind that separates this post, to the box that awaits me six feet below the earth. And since I don’t know when that moment will I arrive, I choose to utilize, maximize, acknowledge, appreciate, and engage all the time that I can get.

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I used to associate success with crossing off certain goals by a certain age but life taught me a valuable lesson. It’s never too early to start and it’s never too late to start. Each day becomes a chance to earn my freedom, to live a life with intention, to educate my self, to acquire a new set of skills, to refine my abilities, to make an idea happen, and to be who I am.

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To me, that means being able to work on the things I enjoy doing most, which typically revolve around creative projects. These intellectual curiosities challenge and encourage my inner self-expression, thus allowing my true nature to thrive. Every day I do my best––To show up, pursue excellence, and bring my best self so that one day, I do not depend on others or have my entire livelihood be subjected to employers, potential crashes, crises, overtakes, economic downturns or environmental factors. To be able to take my thoughts, feelings and emotions and give them a voice through art that supports and embellishes my lifestyle. To build a fully liberated and unfettered free life that belongs to me. -

Progression Not Perfection

- I'm not here to advocate perfection. Not even close. I'm here to advocate progression.

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I want creatives to see the ins and outs of the beautiful but challenging process of pursing an interest and making it a part of a daily routine. To not fall in love with the final product but the steps in between that made it all possible. To have fun making cool shit. Just because they can.

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My parents never forced me to do anything, especially not art. They encouraged my art but they didn't put me in classes. They didn't pay for my education because I never asked them to. I didn't go to college by choice. Because I didn't want to study something I didn't believe in. Especially right out of high school when I didn't know who I was or what I wanted.

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I've spent the last 6 years since graduating exploring all these various aspects of life and only recently came to the conclusion that art was something I actually enjoy. Something I could envision playing a larger role in both my life and others. I do these things for me, but I share what I do because it helps me understand and find meaning to my world, which then allows me to connect with a larger audience. However, no one is going to care about me as much as I do. So I've taken the initiative to pursue my creativity, listen to my gut, contemplate my possibilities and try my best to make my goals a reality.

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I've made a conscious decision to spend time with art, work hard at it, learn from it, and grow along side it. A choice has been made. All of this--This is the trajectory of an emerging artist. This, is mine.