statement

I woke up in the middle of the night. My mind was awake and aware, but I was unable to move. I was literally trapped inside of my own paralyzed body. A loud buzzing sound rumbled inside of my head. Fierce vibrations rattled through my body. It felt as though every neuron inside of my brain was suddenly firing at the same time. The intensity grew to a point where I thought that I might literally explode. Suddenly, it all stopped and was replaced by a peaceful and still silence. At that moment, I had the clear sensation of separating from my body. I began floating above my Navy bunk and through the various pipes and ducts that ran along the ceiling. I was completely shocked by what was happening. After rising for some time, I began shooting through a tunnel made of wispy, white strands of tangible light. It was absolutely exhilarating. I was stunned and at the same time elated at how real and crisp the experience felt. The tunnel faded and I gently slowed to a stop. Around me, in every direction, was a vast, thick, three dimensional void of absolute nothingness. I waited with anticipation of what would occur next. Before I could fully ponder what was happening to me, I was shot at rocket speed back to my body. After some effort, I was able to begin moving my fingers and sit up in my bunk. The only thought that I could muster was, "What the hell was that!" This event occurred in 1995 and was the first of hundreds of lucid dreams and out-of-body experiences that would follow.

My current body of work is a pictorial account of my experiences and related realizations that have occurred since that first experience described above. The works are essentially illustrations depicting my adventures and findings related to out-of-body experiences, lucid dreams, meditative states, and sleep paralysis. Many of these events have forever changed my life and how I view reality. Because these experiences tend to raise more questions than they answer, I frequently research a variety of topics including quantum mechanics, digital physics, near death experiences, parapsychology, the human brain, and various spiritual texts and teachings. One of the key concepts that has bubbled up out of this research is that, to use the words of consciousness researcher and nuclear physicists Tom Campbell, "Consciousness is fundamental and reality is virtual."

I frequently utilize the composition, lighting, and story telling strategies of film and photography in an attempt to create work that teeters between appearing mysteriously familiar and enticingly foreign. The works are designed to gently encourage the viewer to turn toward, or continue to ponder, the fundamental questions related to our existence and the nature of reality. As Albert Einstein said, "The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." My hope is to gently nudge the viewer toward, or along, their own path of questioning.

bio

born: 1974, Enid, Oklahoma

education

California State University San Bernardino, BA, 2004

selected awards/honors

Best of the Best Pacific Art Foundation Scholarship, Laguna College of Art and Design, 2011

Friends of the Museum Award, California State University San Bernardino, 2003

Annual Award in Sculpture, California State University San Bernardino, 2001

selected group shows

MFA 2013, Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, California, 2013

The Realist Perspective, Gallery 533, Los Angeles, California, 2012

MFA Thesis Exhibition, Arena 1 Gallery, Santa Monica, California, 2012

Best of the Best, Ettinger Gallery, Laguna Beach, California, 2011