Evidence

Under a Blue Sky

Lion Study

The Hyenas of Harar

In the Ethiopian city of Harar, there is a centuries-old tradition of feeding wild hyenas. This traditions stems from a legend telling of hyenas attacking the citizens. The leader of Harar told the hyenas that if they stop attacking, they will be fed the scraps of meat in return. Since this ritual began, there have been no reported attacks in Harar and a symbiotic relationship has grown between the citizens and hyenas. The people of Harar not only feel safe, but welcome the sight of the hyenas.

Mallorca

In the summer of 2019, my brother and I had several collaborative concerts combining our two art forms of classical and visual art. One of our favorite combinations was a musical piece entitled "Mallorca" and this painting of this coastal island next to Spain. The music ebbed and flowed just like the waves that crashed onto the beach in this landscape.

Buffer Between Two Worlds

In Africa there is a constant struggle between farmers and predators. Predators, such as cheetahs, see livestock as easy prey and routinely kill cattle and goats. Naturally, farmers track down the big cat and kill it. In attempt to keep their livestock alive, farmers will even preemptively kill any surrounding big cats. So conservationists have found a novel way to keep peace between the two forces; livestock guarding dogs.

Mystery of the Felidae Family

Ranging between the rain forests of Indonesia to the foothills of Nepal, little is known about my subject, the elusive clouded leopard. However, what is known about them is quite interesting. These 35-pound cats can bring down prey as large as deer and feral hogs, and can climb headfirst down trees. Listed on the IUCN Red List as vulnerable, these cats are targeted since a crackdown on tiger furs has occurred. They may just be the next trend in pelts; and the next extinct species.

The Glare

Adjectives such as "elusive", "cunning" and "intelligent" are used to describe this big cat. So when I saw this mountain lion in such a perfect combination of those characteristics, I couldn't resist painting her haughty attitude.

Hope Alone Won`t Create Change

Transformation of a Childhood Snack

This piece harkens back to a time when animals were more of a theme of my after school snack than a passionate subject in my art. "Transformation of a Childhood Snack" shows a progression of animals as something I saw as beautiful and foreign- more of a lighthearted thought- to a living being with weight in our world. Animals are as real; they must be respected and understood as separate from a fantasy.

Want Versus Need

'Want Versus Need" compares the logic between trophy hunters and lions, one of the animals they target. Through the progression of this story, the viewer witnesses the necessity behind the lions` killing of the zebra, and the hunters greed of killing the pride male for a prize. (April 2017)

Detail of "Want v. Need"

Detail of "Want v. Need"

Detail of "Want v. Need"

Cast Painting

Following my original cast drawing, I moved onto painting a cast. This from-life work was the most challenging painting I had created to date, but I loved it. It changed my view of objects, seeing them as planes of value instead of what they actually are. This view has allowed me to break down complex objects into pure values, which makes them far easier to understand. (January 2017)

Cast Drawing

One of the fundamental parts in a classical art classroom is learning to copy a cast sculpture. Taking over 50 hours to complete, this drawing was very technically challenging; every highlight, angle and value had to be correct. (May 2015)

Peace at Quartz Mountain

Man`s Best Food

Ever since I could draw, cartoon dogs filled the pages of my sketchbook. I decided to finally make a serious piece of art with these characters by playing on the phrase "Man`s Best Friend". Every dog on this poster is a combination of its breed name and a corresponding food, hence the punny title "Man`s Best Food". (April 2017)

Regrowth

"Regrowth" is a story of two different species prevailing in a unusual circumstances. In the oil fields in Gabon, Africa, elephants have actually flourished due to the strict regulations enforced in the fields. A similar situation of human encroachment, Sika deer have begun overpopulating Japanese cities. Although problematic, these examples show that animals will continue to preserve through human expansion, and we must find a way to coexist. (September 2017)

The Last Oasis

Between Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, lies a protected area for Western Lowland Gorillas. This area is one of the last places these animals can escape from poaching and deforestation. I saw this picture while researching Virunga, and I knew I had to capture the rare peace the photo held. (March 2016)

All on Her Wings

Bees are one of the top pollinators, and they help pollinate a massive amount of the food we eat. Although we would not starve if bees disappeared, they pollinate the foods that give our diets nutrition and substance. If bees were to disappear, we would lose a multitude of fruits and vegetables, such as peaches, plums, cherries, and broccoli. (April 2016)

More Harm than Help

As more species become threatened, zoos take it upon themselves to protect these animals in hopes of one day seeing them thrive in the wild. However, there are massive drawbacks, especially when an animal that requires a cold environment bakes under a hot sun. Polar bears are not fit to live in every environment for the education or enjoyment of viewers. There must be a better solution. (April 2016)

Mom

Luxury products such as tiger skin rugs drive black market poaching, but the ramifications are even greater than the death of one animal. Many times entire families are lost due to the death of an individual. (May 2016)

Unlikely Protection

With the constant change in conservation efforts, rangers have found a highly effective way to further their cause: dogs. Across Africa, dogs like Belgian Malinois are trained to bring down poachers, sniff out weapons, and protect endangered animals like Rhinos. (April 2016)

The Cure

"The Cure" is about the most trafficked animal in the world, the pangolin. The pangolin is highly prized in China for it`s scales that have "medicinal powers" to fix asthma, reproductive problems, even cancer. This animal is used for almost any ailment in humans, but there looks to be no cure for the pangolin. (May 2016)

Pangolin In Your Medicine?

For thousands of years, practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine have used animals in their medicine. These animals, such as pangolins, tigers, sharks and deer are believed to have healing powers, yet there is no scientific evidence behind these practices. Many times the extracts and parts of the animals used are taken through violent and inhumane ways, through operating on still-alive animals.

Dressed in Red

This oil painting is inspired by a photo from "The Humans of New York". The way the girl looked at the camera and the vibrant red caught my eye, and I knew I had to paint it. (December 2015)