Burning Oil Drawing

I am a U.S Army Veteran and a practicing artist. The current body of work is primarily focused on imagery and events that I have experienced, or friends have experienced. The source images that I use are original and come from combat and conflict zones during military deployments from around the world. The purpose of my pieces are to invoke a sense of beauty in desolation, along with pushing boundaries of traditional compositions and subject matter. During my time in the Middle East, I was faced with extremely harsh conditions and life changing experiences that few have been through but has ultimately shaped my life and career; these experiences motivate and haunt me simultaneously. The use of paint allows me to convey a sense of emotion and thought that is difficult to explain in words. I hope that viewers are able to see that sometimes there is beauty in places that are far from the ideal, and there is a sense of what a Veteran might be thinking while operating in these far off desolate lands.