Growing up in a large, tight-knit family taught me to value being part of a community and the satisfaction of working hard for the betterment of the whole. These principles led me to serve my greater community through 4 years in the US Navy and later for 20 years as a Deputy Sheriff in Maricopa County, Arizona.

During this time, I had many occasions to witness people at their worst moments of pain, anger, and desperation. Sometimes I was there to share and help people through tragic events. Other times I played a part dealing with the culmination of poor decisions and crises coming to a head. Decades of these widely contradictory roles led me to feel very intimately in touch with humanity while paradoxically, utterly detached from most people.

Retirement offered me the space to work on processing my experiences. I also used this time to connect with people in a more normal setting, outside of the extremes I had become so used to operating in. This was when I rediscovered art; a path I’d set aside in my youth. With charcoal, pastels, and paint, I began to explore the complexity of my journey and how I related to the people in the world around me. Over time, my work transformed into a visual representation of creating a space for people to see themselves in others and in spaces, both known and unfamiliar. Art has become the bridge between my past and my present, between myself and others. It is a tool for healing, understanding, and growth.

 As I navigate this creative journey later in life, both burdened and enriched by the experiences I carry, I hope my work sparks conversations about the internal burdens that all people carry, the minutiae that makes up life, and the shared humanity that can unite us all. Through art, I invite others to see the world, and each other, with greater empathy and insight.