You Can't Hide An Armadillo Cover Painting

Children's literature is a genre which is integral to the way that human society develops and functions. Arguably, it could be the most important part of growing up. It is when we are very young that we are the most receptive to new ideas, how to interact among people, and how to latch on to the most creative parts of our thoughts and bring them to life in new contexts. Without these skills, communication and progress would be practically impossible, and books with illustrations are a wonderful way of teaching these skills. Similarly, the artistic world is a place that functions in much the same way. The viewer is exposed to a new way of seeing and a new way of thinking, and is now required to use their investigative skills to find new channels of meaning within a physical object. This is no different than a child picking up a book and reading it, finding meaning in the relationship between words and illustrations. In both places, the impossible becomes possible, and we are learning something about humanity and its values. This dialogue between art and viewer, reader and writer, is the driving force of all of my artwork. Whether my drawings are intended for a specific story or not, they always contain within them a narrative or a relationship between characters in order to invoke a sense of meaning. Because I am a writer at heart, any art that I create is intended to function as an illustration of something, or as a metaphor for a greater ideal. My current goal in my drawings is to bridge the gap between illustration and art, to make a more personal narrative that tells a story about myself, and therefore making it a unique experience that hasn't been directed or invoked by a commission. Drawing becomes the essential medium for this work because in characterizing my thoughts and ideas, the pencil work will create detail and form that is important for facial expressions and physical emotion. It needs to be accessible to the viewer, no matter their age, and the best way to do this is through recognizable forms of emotion that one can relate to. Color becomes an important factor as well for portraying a sense of feeling, because it enhances the messages already coming through in the drawings. Therefore together, it becomes a complete and cohesive work of art. In viewing my work, I hope to invoke a sense of nostalgia, or perhaps the same feelings that one felt in reading their favorite book as a child or as an adult.