“Untitled,” Alaska

“Untitled,” Alaska

“Untitled,” Alaska

“Untitled,” Alaska

“Untitled,” Alaska

“Untitled,” Alaska

“Lost Rhino,” Alaska

“Untitled,” Alaska

“Untitled,” Alaska

“Aversion to Love,” Alaska

“Principals of the Snowglobe,” Alaska

“Marilyn,” Alaska

“Barbra Streisand,” Alaska

“Untitled,” Alaska

“Untitled,” Alaska

“Untitled,” Alaska

“Untitled,” Alaska

“Windless,” Alaska

“Untitled,” Alaska

“Aubby Quin (Look A Like),” Alaska

“Sassy,” Alaska

“Searching,” Alaska

“Untitled,” Alaska

“Untitled,” Alaska

“Windy Day,” Alaska

Like many people who become artists I once believed being able to draw was a talent bestowed upon the select few, “the chosen”. With that being said, I first became interested in drawing when helping my friend with his prison tattoo set up. As I watched him decorate other inmates’ skin my fascination grew, not only with the process but with how one comes to create a picture. So one day I finally picked up the pencil. My first picture was of a woman from the ESPN body issue. From there, five years ago now, the motivation is improvement in my drawing and that keeps me going.

I’m unsure what my incarceration would be like had I ignored the urge to draw or to stay with it. To me it’s more than an outlet. A finished piece is a personal accomplishment, even though I am generally not a fan of my own work.

I like to encourage other people in here to pick up the pencil and ignore the myth of the inherently born artist. It definitely takes both practice as well as patience. 

One day I’d like to know that I positively influenced another human being, one I’ve never met, through a drawing or a piece of art that I created.

I will do and prefer to do commission work. Any picture, animals, people, vehicles, etc. I will draw in graphite or colored pencil. Portraits of people I will draw using only graphite. When submitting a picture it is important that what you wish to have drawn is clear, focused and detail revealing. Look at a makeup advertisement in a magazine for a guideline on how close up and clear the picture should be. The better the quality of the picture the better my drawing will be. Black and white pictures work best. 

With pastels (oil), I await an emotion to take the crayon from my hand and make a rhythm with the strokes to sync up with music works as well. I am trying to do something different and expressive. I love graphite portraits, to draw them, but I wanted to do something that defines me.