Fine Art · Painterly Tattoos · Marion, Illinois
My creativity is rooted in the transformative power of art.
I am inspired by nature, movement, and the process of self discovery.
Original Works
Paintings
What's on the surface, and what is felt within.
My paintings are shaped by observation and intuitive response. I enjoy weaving together natural elements with abstract, geometric shapes, creating compositions that flow.
For Collectors, Studios & Intentional Spaces
Art for Thoughtful Spaces
There is something further to discover in each painting, a quality that rewards a closer look and invites the eye in.
The people who find my art tend to trust their instincts. They feel something and know it belongs with them. They're not buying art to fill a wall — they're investing in something that gives back every time they look at it.
For healing spaces, creative studios, private collections, and the walls you come home to.
Original work and archival prints are available online and through Gallery 111 in Marion, Illinois.
Custom Work
Every commission begins with your space in mind. I work with the colors, light, and feeling of the room the painting will live in — so when it arrives, it feels like it was always meant to be there.
You choose the color palette, the size, and a subject within my range. From there, I do my thing.
Fill out the inquiry form below and I'll review your application and provide a quote based on the time the piece will take, including the cost of materials. A deposit is required to reserve your commission.
Tell me about your space
Share your room, your light, the feeling you're looking for. Photos welcome.
We discuss direction
Size, color family, mood. I'll share my instincts and we find alignment.
I paint. It unfolds.
You receive something made specifically for your space.
By Appointment · Southern Illinois
The Bloom Project is an open-ended tattoo process. Sessions can be revisited, expanded, and refined across the years.
Many clients begin with a single piece and return over time, letting the work grow as they do. What starts as a smaller tattoo becomes a sleeve, a single flower becomes a garden. With each visit we can shape the work further — layering, adding on, adjusting depth, refining what's already there.
My style was formed by being tattooed — and finding that what I wanted didn't quite exist yet.
I imagined something softer — floral forms that followed the body the way a garment does, decorative without being heavy, inspired by nature and painterly.
The Bloom Project is rooted in the symbolic nature of a flower unfolding — and the journey each client is on as they and their tattoos continue to grow and change over time. Sessions take place in a private studio tucked in the Southern Illinois countryside — a quiet getaway from the everyday, where the focus is on you. I work with a select number of clients and take time to review each application personally.
The process is the project.
About
I live my life as an artist — in the way I focus my time and energy, and through how I see, feel, and respond to my environment.
I have a deep appreciation for beauty and the ephemeral nature of time. I'm trying to be present — to notice what brings joy rather than focus on what's out of my control.
I love the truthfulness of science and natural order alongside the mystery of imagination. My art is a visual conversation and a reflection of who I am, enabling a deep connection to creativity and purpose. Though I can get a bit heady, I try to keep the work grounded and accessible. I want people to look at my art and have their own experience with it.
What makes my perspective unique is there is only one me — and it is through this lens that I create.
Background
From Chicago to Southern Illinois
In 1997 I left Chicago for the Southern Illinois countryside with Guy Aitchison, and took a bigger leap of change than it looked on the map. We were young, full of ideas, and this gave us room to build something on our own terms.
Without a familiar art community close by, I developed a practice on my own — painting consistently, tattooing, sometimes traveling to New York, California, and Chicago, then returning home to work. We showed our paintings, attended tattoo conventions, and lived a life where being an artist was consistently at the center of things.
It turned out to be a good place to plant roots and raise a creative child, room to breathe, beautiful state parks, and countryside not far from town. Locally, there has been a positive shift, with more small businesses and individuals contributing to a robust and creative community. I am excited to be part of this and am currently working with my family towards opening Gallery 111 in Marion, Illinois, later this year.
Get in Touch
Artist Journal
From the Studio
Spring 2026
In the Studio — Spring 2026
There's a 32×64" painting on the easel right now pulling together everything I've been exploring lately. Being made for our first show at Gallery 111 — and I'm keeping it a surprise until it's done.
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Winter 2026
From Life — The Strada Easel Challenge
Twice a year I take on the Strada Easel Challenge — painting from life every day for a month. This past winter I completed my 10th. Here are a few favorites.
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Winter 2026
The Bloom Project — Revisiting & Refining
Back to some long-term client work — Monica's sleeve is nearly 20 years old, and Jessica's shoulder caps are 13 years in the making. This is the Bloom Project at its fullest.
Read MoreGet in Touch
Let's talk about
what you have in mind.
Whether you're interested in an original painting, a print, a commission, or a tattoo appointment — reach out below and I'll be in touch soon.