My Story

Born on the flatlands of eastern South Dakota in 1984, I was blessed with a childhood full of tree forts and fishing poles. I attended Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD and acquired by BFA in 2006. After working multiple jobs and saving every penny, I chased my future wife across the pond to Germany and lived there for almost two years giving bike tours, teaching English and taking in the rich history of Europe. While there I also worked on honing in on my current collaging technique and developed the elongated whimsical style you see in my art.

After returning to the States in 2010, I focused on my passion for teaching and earned my stripes leading 2nd graders on nature walks and explorations in art. Never putting the paintbrush down, my wife Ashley and I decided in 2015 to quit the rat race and take our son Ivan on the road, committing to my art full-time. For the first nine months, we lived the nomadic lifestyle and traveled over 17,000 miles, keeping only a mailbox in Boulder as our permanent residence. We then settled in Fort Collins, Colorado and grew to a family of four when our son, Orin, was born in November 2016. In December 2017 we moved across the country and planted our little family and art business in Southwest Michigan. We continue to explore the country attending art festivals, gathering inspiration from the open road and sharing my work with art enthusiasts from all over.