i am finally done with my first project and it feels great to actually have a functional piece of furniture! furniture is something i have recently found great interest in. i could almost say that i have passionate feelings towards it. yes that may be weird but i really enjoy it.

so the theme on our project is re-humanization and the way i was able to incorporate that into this bench is through the theme of value. value is something that really makes me feel human, and value is reached through dialogue and relationships. those deeper conversations are generally taken place while seated-hence the bench for two. and when you first start in that conversation it feels really rough around the edges(see first picture). it feels really unfinished and unrefined, but once you move get past that you progress into a more refined conversation where it starts to flow. from that middle stage it eventually becomes really refined and you eventually reach a point where it feels finished(see second photo). and once it feels finished you have reached value! the bench is a representation of that in terms of the layered wood and the contrast from the unfinished and the finished. the layered wood also represents two different people in that actual dialogue. hope you enjoy it and yes it does support two people! it is really sturdy actually and all in all the process of creating this was great. fyi-it was all cut with a circular saw and the only bonding agent is glue. it is also my first piece of furniture ever.

the unfinished rough beginning of the dialogue

the refined and finished dialogue where value has been reached

whole shot

stuff from last semester

so here are a few things from last semester. i have one self portrait which is done in graphite and the rest are mixed media sculpture. sorry for the crappy pics, they are from my phone. anyway hope you enjoy.


an airplane which is made of clay and stuck with 450 thumb tacks. inspired by David Adey- artist, teacher, and friend

freestanding sculpture. i love mixing organic and industrial

half way carved mask

unfinished chair inspired by 5-5 design in paris

why am i in ny?

well ill tell you. so my friend curtis (the guy in the header picture) and his wife decided to staff and help lead this campus crusade trip which so happens to be in new york city. cool right? well then they asked me to apply because i am an artist and that is what this project is for. the project's mission is to help students bridge the gap between art and belief. i know thats pretty deep and all but im still trying to figure out what that exactly looks like. the idea is great and is something that i have been trying to achieve in my art. but christian art has alot of things wrong with it and what we are getting at is to make our art appeal to people outside the world of christianity. we just want our art to be something that reaches deeper than just repainting a biblical scene or making branding like the christian fish that you always see on cars. so it is going to be a very good summer, hanging in nyc, spending time with working artists, and bridging that gap. it will be challenging but i love challenge and it will be interesting to see what we will come up with. hope you enjoy my progress as much as i will. ill keep the pics of my work coming. stay tuned!

so today was a great day because i was able to go to an amazing museum and it was totally free to boot. MoMA is the museum of modern art for those of you unaware. anyway this baby houses some of the most important paintings, sculptures and designs from the beginning of the modern art movement to present day. anyway i hope you enjoy these as much as i did. you will get a glance of where i find inspiration as well.

This was my first Korean food experience and let me tell you it sure does stick with you. Its three hours later and i can still taste my meal. but other than that i did enjoy it. Bailey i thought you would appreciate the Korean food!

look at that stache

Korean wrap

two pics that i truly enjoy

this penny magically fit the hole and will never come out again

say hello to my little mexican friend. his name is josh

just another stage in my 1st proj

here are some more pics of my project. they are only preliminary so i could see what it would look like but you should get the idea. enjoy

f1rst project

so during my time in ny we have a total of three projects to complete, and if we're lucky they make it into the show at the end.
project 1 is a project where we work individually around the concept of re-humanization and i chose a rather ambitious project, a chair design, or bench to be precise. so here are some pics of the rough beginning and the crappy work station that i rigged up to stand as my work shop. note- minimal tools, so the end product should be interesting but its hopeful.

fresh cuts



rigged up fence

proposal sketch

hey all,

 so my summer has just begun in nyc and im a little stressed, but have an amazing opportunity to meet working artists here in the city. through this "mentoring," as they call it i will be able to explore areas of the graphic arts as well as furniture design, two areas of which i just am beginning to explore. should be fun!

the project is through campus crusade for christ international and is geared towards integration of faith and art. the product will be available to all in the middle of july. ill let you all know the exact date later but if at all possible you should schedule it in. 

here are some pics of my studio space located in midtown manhattan, pretty cool!

thinking spot

the view from our studio