Can you share a bit about your background and what initially drew you to pursue art as a passion or career?
“It feels like I’ve been making art for as long as I’ve been able to hold a pencil and paintbrush. Both of my parents are artists in their own right so growing up I always had access to art supplies. I was also lucky to have continual encouragement and freedom to lean into my creative endeavors, all the way through college. I think I really started taking art seriously before that though. When I was around 12 or 13 I developed a love of photography during a trip to Türkiye to see my family. Taking photos felt like a meaningful way to bring a piece of my heritage home with me.”
How did you first get involved with Second Saturday, and what does it mean to you as a local artist?
“I saw a post from Midtown Association on Instagram last year calling for artists to be part of their Second Saturday Programming. I submitted an application and I was so stoked when they reached out to invite me to be part of it. At the time they were really looking for live/demonstration painters and asked me if I would be interested in doing that. I had never painted in front of strangers before but I had painted several times with my wife and family, so I decided it could be a lot of fun to give it a shot. I’m glad I did because I’ve found so much enjoyment doing it once I got over the nerves. It gives me a different kind of energy and inspiration when I am able to engage with people while I am painting.
Midtown Association’s support for Second Saturday’s means a lot to me as a local artist. I’ve been able to meet so many other wonderful artists, curators, local business owners and art enthusiasts that I may have never had the opportunity to reach otherwise, especially as an artist who didn’t grow up here or study here.”
How would you describe your artistic style and what sets your work apart from other artists?
“I use a lot of different mediums and techniques to bring my ideas to life and my process invites a lot of color, texture and storytelling. Overall, I try to keep it fun, even when broaching serious topics. Others have more formally described my work as abstract expressionism and neo-surrealism.
There are some things I want to convey in more abstract forms and some things I want to convey in more representational forms, it all kind of depends on my headspace and the materials I have at the time. I do try to upcycle and reuse paints, canvases and other materials as much as possible to maintain a sustainable practice. I like the character it adds when my work shows a little wear and tear because of that. I think that’s pretty unique although I’ve met so many other wonderful and creative environmentally-focused artists in our region. It’s cool to see how common that is now.
I think what sets my work apart most from others though is how improvisational a lot of it is. I often utilize collaboration to create some of my paintings. Sometimes that collaboration is with other people – like I did in August at Fremont Park for Second Saturday, and sometimes it’s just with mother nature – using natural elements like rain, heat and wind to shape my work. Most of the time I have no real preconceived notion of what the end result is going to look like, but the fun is in figuring it out along the way.”
“I moved here with my wife from Salt Lake City, UT in 2020, during the pandemic, and one thing I noticed immediately is just how much more prevalent and respected art was here. That gave me confidence to pursue my art more seriously. I love continually learning how diverse and deep Sacramento’s art scene is, both culturally and in the variety of art forms people work in. Since moving here I’ve met some of the most amazing muralists, graffiti artists, painters, photographers, musicians, textile artists, sculptors, mixed media artists…the list goes on and on. Everyone has such distinct and important perspectives in their work and yet everyone is also so down to earth and thoughtful. The community really seems to move as one and support each other too. I just feel very lucky to be part of that as I figure out how to tell my story in my own ways.
On top of that, a lot of my practice is focused on the environment and natural beauty so I love being so close to so many beautiful places like Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. There are not many cities in America where you can drive 2 hours one direction and you’ll be in the ocean but if you drive 2 hours the opposite direction you’ll end up in the mountains. There’s no shortage of places in Sacramento, and just outside of it, to find inspiration.”
What are some of your aspirations or goals as an artist, both in terms of your personal growth and the impact you hope to make through your art?
“I recently wrapped up a residency with the City of Sacramento’s Office of Climate Action and Sustainability which was a dream come true in so many different ways. It was incredibly rewarding to work with City staff to utilize art as a vehicle to effectively engage our communities on the climate issues we are facing here in Sacramento. I got to learn from so many awesome experts in their field and four other incredibly talented and compassionate artists who were part of my cohort. Now, I am taking that inspiration and experience and just enjoying making new work in my studio again. I want to have a body of work for a solo show at some point in the fairly near future.
I’ve also been following the expanding opportunities in the Arts & Health sector since learning about it during my residency. I’m particularly interested in initiatives like social prescribing and Art RX , and the work being done by UCDavis and The Crocker Art Museum . I’ve been attending some of the free webinars offered by California for the Arts, where art and healthcare professionals discuss how to effectively integrate the arts as a legitimate approach to treating mental and physical health issues.
It’s fascinating to me because if you’re an artist, and even if you’re not in many cases, you already know just how healing it is to create art or experience art, but it’s very cool to see that backed up with data and verified with healthcare professionals now. I hope that’s something that just continues to grow and get more funding so artists can have more opportunities to use their skills for good. This is something I’d love to explore as part of my practice in some capacity down the line, especially as I try to do more community paintings.”
How does participating in events like Second Saturday allow you to connect with your audience or community in ways that are unique compared to other platforms or venues?
“What I love most about Second Saturday is how accessible it is for everyone and how symbiotic the relationship is between artists and local businesses. It breaks down the barriers that can often be associated with the arts and artists, especially the more traditional gallery environment where, at worst, there are significant barriers to entry for so many people, and at best, it can be kind of intimidating. In many cases when I am working with Midtown Association at Second Saturday events I am able to both create art and show my art at the same time and in the same place. That’s hard to do in any other setting. This allows people to see the process, engage and ask questions in a way that’s more easy-going and fun.
For example, in August when I was doing a community painting during Second Saturday there were two young boys who approached me and wanted to know more about my work. At first they were kind of shy but then as we started talking about my paintings on display they started asking a lot of questions. They started talking about things they saw in the paintings and the things it reminded them of. I could tell they were brothers because they started riffing off one another based on shared experiences. Then they helped me paint a portion of the community painting and just had a really great time doing it.
It’s something that really stuck with me afterwards because when they were done their mom came up to me and very sincerely thanked me for giving them that moment. That made me so happy. It also gave me a moment to pause and reflect on how happy I was when I was their age and I was given moments where I got to freely express myself and experiment with art.
I’m very grateful Second Saturday provides artists, art enthusiasts, and hopefully many artists-to-be, several opportunities for moments just like that one.”
