"I’m an artist who is constantly exploring the duality of light and dark, sanity and madness; the space that exists between your reality and mine. A lot of my work, and developed style, is inspired by having synesthesia and being able to interpret music and sound in a visual way. I also like to dance with perception and challenge our own understanding of what might be real to me and unknown to you. Life is both good, bad, and heartbreakingly beautiful all at the same time. All of the time."

It’s taken me years to figure out what I’m trying to say as an artist. Mainly because when I started drawing in high school it was all about developing the skill set of, you know, “being good at drawing.” I focussed on drawing musicians because it would get the kids around me to take interest in what I was creating, and that gave me some sort of illusion of accountability to get better. It was never about showing creativity or a thoughtful approach to art; it was simply just wanting my drawing to get closer and closer to the photograph. I never considered myself creative or an “idea” person. I wasn’t the artsy kid in high school, I just had a skillset that I could obsess over; which is why I went to college to be an Architect and not an Artist. 

I think it's hard for most artists to describe, in words, the world they are trying to build or the "brand" around the art they are creating because we show it to you...and we prefer it that way. At least I do. I follow the music I’m listening to, the energetic burst of lightning I get in my chest when that Jay-Z double entendre hits. I follow the laughs I get from obsessively watching comedy podcasts all day every day. I follow the sentence that keeps repeating in my head over and over and over, with no idea what it means or where it came from. I follow the moods of everyday life and just want to make them look as best as I can.

A little peek behind the curtain, as someone whose whole schooling and career has been based on critiques and having to put story to the thing you make… oftentimes the story comes after the making. But we’re told that the story, the concept, has to drive the outcome. I’m here to tell ya… yeah sometimes that’s the case, but I’d argue a lot of the time it isn’t. So I’m just here following the instincts I have and continuing down the path that I originally started out on, which is making sure everything I create is a little better than the last. And hopefully, through that journey, something I make resonates with you and love it enough to welcome it into your home! -jjj