I am interested in representationalism, and I am not interested in realism. Imagination overrules reality and my works are more about evocation than accuracy. I want the works to have an emotional charge brought forth by using allegory, symbolism and archetype. While most works start with an impetus in personal experience, I strive for a timelessness and something more universal in the final work.
Painting for me is a paradox. On one hand it is a very slow contemplation of the subject matter, usually established over a number of preliminary studies or drawings. On the other, it is a chance to promote accident in the process in order to steer the works away from a rigidity that can leave a painting lifeless. The process is meditative, with large chunks of lost time. This lost time is filled moments of intense focus but also spans of flitting thoughts that aren’t clarified or engaged. It is both exhausting and invigorating.
2019, Acrylic & oil on canvas, 48x48”
2019, Oil on canvas, 40x60”
2016, Oil on cradled panel, 18x24”
2016, Oil on panel, 12x12”
2016, Oil on panel, 16x20”
2016, Acrylic & oil on panel, carved wormed cypress, XXxXX”
2016, Oil on 2 panels, 12x12” each
2016, Oil on panel, 12x12”
2015, Oil on linen on panel, 24x24”
2015, Oil on panel, 20x20”
2015, Oil on canvas, 24x36”
Music has always been a huge inspiration to myself and my work. Around 2000, bored with brand design and corporate work, I decided to apply my skills towards bands and their branding/visual presence. Since then I’ve created artwork for about 300 albums, countless merchandise, stage sets and show posters.
My approach is to get to know the band, their music and what they are communicating. It is a collaboration and my job is to create a tailor fit aesthetic for the music. Album artwork isn’t merely a depiction of the album title or lyrics but a contemplation on the album as a whole. It is a chance to give fans another dimension into the sound.
Some of my clients include:
A Life Once Lost, The Acacia Strain, Animosity, Burning Star Core, Chiodos, Cirlce, Dälek, Dead to Fall, Decibel Magazine, Earth, Earth Crisis, Final, Godflesh, Hate Eternal, Ion Dissonance, Jedi Mind Tricks, Mastodon, None More Black, The Red Chord, Revolver Magazine, Rosetta, Starkweather, Through the Eyes of the Dead, Trivium, Turmoil, We Came as Roman, Withered
2002, Cover image, oil on panel, digital
2004, Cover image, oil on linen, digital
2006, charcoal and chalk on Rives BFK, digital
2006, oil on linen, digital
2009, Gouache on Arches HP, digital
2009, Acrylic, brick on panel, digital
2016, Charcoal on Rives BFK, digital
2017, Acrylic on Arches HP, digital
2005, Oil on toned cyanotypes, digital
2005, Oil on linen, digital
2008, Charcoal, ink on Rives BFK, digital
2010, Oil on mylar, digital
Pen & Ink is the most nostalgic medium for me. A young Paul Romano (Bronze Age of Comics kid) spent countless hours at the kitchen table dreaming to get anywhere near heroes like Bernie Wrightson, Barry Windsor Smith or Alfredo Alcala (and so many more).
Pen & Ink is a medium I turn to for my own enjoyment. It is a way for me to develop ideas and explore mark making without being overly serious.
2016, Pen & Ink on tea toned Arches HP, XXxXX”
2016, Pen & Ink on tea toned Arches HP, XXxXX”
2016, Pen & ink, watercolor on Arches HP, XXxXX”
2016, Pen & ink, watercolor on tea toned Arches HP, XXxXX”
2016, Pen & Ink on cyanotype/tea toned Rives BFK, XXxXX”
2016, Pen & ink, watercolor on Arches HP, 11x15”
Drawing is the paramount discipline for myself. I try to practice daily, even if only making abstract marks on something I will throw away. I find having a strength in this discipline allows me to jump into other mediums with confidence and more immediate achievement.
2016, Charcoal & chalk on Rives BFK Tan, 11x15”
2016, Charcoal & Chalk on Rives BFK Tan, 11x15”
2015, Charcoal, ink & chalk on Rives BFK, 11x15”
2015, Charcoal & ink on Rives BFK, 11x15”
2011, Charcoal on Rives BFK, 10x10”
2014, Charcoal, ink, chalk and bronze powder on Rives BFK, 11x15”
