I've never done a watercolor portrait of someone "on the spot" until now! Yesterday during my lunch break I watercolored this portrait. I always warn people, I can never make people look as beautiful as they are, and that is the case here. But it was still fun because I did this all in just over a half hour. It's different than my usual art pieces where I take much more time on them. This portrait has a life, energy to it, that I think comes from the heap of emotion when you are feeling stressed or uncertain. It was a good outlet for me this day and I got a picture I'm proud of out of it, win win. 

Here is a watercolor that I began over two years ago, and then just finally got up the guts to finish it! This picture represents the changes we go through as we grow up and the relationships that are strained when we enter new times in our lives.

I'm proud to say, after over a year of slow plotting along, working on music and disc package design, Recovery Song, is off to the printers! As we speak the single for mental health awareness is getting made! All cd sales are going to mental health charity! My CD release is coming up Sept 8th at the Willsboro Bowling Center. From 7-9pm. Come stop by and show support for mental health!

I had a great experience of being supported by the Press Republican Newspaper in the North Country in my effort to bring awareness to the issue of mental illness. I was interviewed about my mental health Advocacy and the character I created called "Semi-Colon Man!" By clicking the link below you should be able to read the article. Press Republican Article Semi-colon Man
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It's interesting how so many different artists arrive at art pieces in so many different ways. Some of my illustrations are things that I plan out way in advance and take a great deal of time getting every component of the picture just the way i want them before I comprise them all in a final piece. This art piece is completely different. I had done the initial sketch you see here with a pen in my note book months ago and forgot about it. When I went to clear out the drawn on pages of my notebook I saw the sketch and thought it looked worth saving. I scanned it into the computer, colored it, and I had an illustration that pleased my eye. I like to accompany this picture with the words-

"He plays their wedding song every night, before he goes to sleep."
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I had a great job experience working with a mental health organization NAMI-CV/Impeerium in Plattsburgh, NY. It is rare in my life I've found groups of people that genuinely care about one another and the community they are part of, this was the case. As a token of my appreciation I made an illustration with all the staff in front of our building. 

Here is another illustration I did for the Mental Health Organization I work for, Impeerium. We've been working on a garden plot that allows people in the community to get out doing something positive for their mental and physical health! If you're in Plattsburgh NY. Come hang at the Wellness Garden!

So, a great thing has happened to me. You might remember a while back I hosted a run for mental health awareness and created a charity called "You Are Not Alone". Well it seems my wish came true, and I really am not alone, because since then I've been hired at Impeerium, a branch of NAMI, where I continue my passion of helping people that struggle, NOW with a great group of people. Just when luck seems to be against you, and you're struggling to see any light, something can stumble into your life. These are posters I've made for the events we've been hosting to bring people in the community together. Look closely, I'm on one! 

This illustration was made for The Greenbean's music producer Kenny Siegal. In this picture we see the kids taking over the house. I remember these days of my childhood fondly. 

My rugby team did it! I wasn't able to play past playoffs, but our Plattsburgh State Rugby team beat Ithaca for the NY state title. Up front you see our coach with his hands in the air. And the rest of the goof balls are students I played beside in the games. I went with a looser watercolor style for this piece,  more splotchy. A little bit of Quintin Blake in there. I will do this again.