The ocean has always been a part of who I am. Growing up by the coast, I was surrounded by its rhythms, mysteries, and sheer power, which shaped my earliest memories and fueled my imagination. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, and my influences have always been all over the map—everything from cartoons to the surreal worlds of Twin Peaks and even the raw emotion you find in Francis Bacon’s work. But it wasn’t until I spent over 15 years living in a landlocked area, far from the coast, that I really understood just how much the ocean meant to me. During that time, I started traveling to surf as often as I could, and I found myself constantly drawing ocean scenes and what I now call "Themwaves"—my love letter to the sea when I couldn’t be close to it.
My creative process is a lot like the waves I draw—always shifting, never still. I move between digital and traditional mediums pretty seamlessly, depending on what feels right in the moment. There’s something about the flexibility and vibrancy of digital tools that really lets me push the boundaries and experiment. I love playing with bold, sometimes unusual color combos and trying to create work that feels different but still belongs in a universe that’s consistent, even if it’s not quite our own. But I also have a deep love for the tactile side of creating—there’s nothing quite like drawing or painting and feeling the texture of the paper under your fingers. It’s grounding and reminds me why I do this in the first place.
When I sit down to draw, inspiration comes from all over—some of it’s pretty obvious, but a lot of it is subtle. Sometimes a photo in a magazine or a random scene from a movie will kickstart an idea, but other times, it’s the quirks of Garfield or Inspector Gadget that sneak their way in. I’ve also spent years w̶a̶r̶p̶i̶n̶g̶ m̶y̶ m̶i̶n̶d̶ listening to Coast to Coast and watching The X-Files, and those influences definitely add layers and little hidden elements to my work. I like to think that each piece I create is a mix of all these elements, even if I’m not always aware of it at the time.
In the end, my goal is always to create something that resonates on a few different levels. Whether I’m working digitally or traditionally, I want my art to be colorful and bright, full of life, and to spark a sense of wonder and curiosity—just like the universe itself.