My Background

Welcome to my site and my art. I started drawing and painting as soon as I was able to pick up a pencil. My dad is an amazing natural artist who unfortunately, didn't pursue it. However, he taught me how to truly observe an object to draw its proportions...at age 4.

Growing up, I got scolded many times for erotic drawings of nude women in the back pages of coloring books. I think this foreshadowed a passion for pinups such as those done by Olivia de Bardinis and the erotic artists like Hajime Sorayama who greatly inspired me.

Around the same time, I developed an obsession for Disney characters and Disney movies. I would attempt to draw the princesses and became proficient at drawing animated characters. At about age ten or eleven, I began taking private cartooning and animation lessons from an artist my dad knew named Tom Alvarez. He was the creator for the Sherlock Holmes comic and taught me the genuine techniques used by industry animators, helping my dream of becoming a Disney animator flourish.

But this didn't happen. Once I got out of high school, I decided I was going to do makeup, so I built my portfolio from scratch and starting knocking on doors. I put together a photo album of before and after makeup shots and walked right up to meet store managers. Over the course of thirteen years, I was a makeup-artist for Victoria's Secret Beauty, Sephora, Chanel, MAC and others. I also did makeup for several amazing photographers, including Michael Scott Jones and Philip Wong. I truly believe those years prepared me to become the artist I am now. I learned how to mix colors and get the right skintones. I also learned how to 'sculpt' the face with makeup and now do the same with painting form.

On 11/11/11 I was accepted into my first Brooklyn, NY exhibition and have been exhibiting ever since. I joined the Connecticut Portrait Society that year and continue to hone my skills through classes whenever I can. Some of my past teachers include Rob Zeller from Oyster Bay Teaching Studios, Joel Spector of Huntington Art League and a workshop with Maria Kreyn. I believe you can never, ever stop learning and the minute you think you've mastered it, you better check your ego at the door before someone or something comes along to show you that you really know nothing.

I will post my most recent creations here, many of which will be available for purchase directly or through Fine Art America through the link on my main page. If you would like to commission me for a piece, please feel free to contact me!

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