Illustration Portfolio

This illustration portfolio features paintings created on paper using watercolors, acrylic inks, and acrylic gouache. These are my original designs, inspired by historical research, and are created completely by hand without the aid of a computer. The tools I use include pencils, paper, ruler, compass, inks, and water based paints. In my current work I use a combination of traditional watercolor paints with acrylic gouache, but I have also painted extensively with acrylic inks.

My creative work is primarily influenced by history: early medieval Irish manuscripts, the tarot, the Stave Churches of Norway, Viking art, Renaissance geometry, alchemical engravings, and particularly how nature is represented in these historic styles. The animals native to my home in New Hampshire often find their way into my work. I look backward to find symbols and myths – essential elements from our collected human psyche – to employ as filters for my own personal experiences.

I enjoy working encoded messages and incantations into my paintings, using ogham, the Theban alphabet, and a runic alphabet I invented specifically for use in my work. The texture of language and symbols in my paintings adds a particular hidden meaning, but it also creates an opportunity for the viewer to intuitively translate what specific message is meant just for them.

I have a BFA degree in printmaking, but my creative work has been as an illustrator and wood carver. I am a life-long artist, with a strong motivation to connect my creative expressions with others.

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