FINE ART IN PENCIL AND PEN
Born on July 4, 1991 in Minnesota, I currently live in the countryside of Utica, a small town in Ohio, and am a home-schooled junior in high school. I am a self-taught artist and have been drawing as long as I can remember. Art has always been a shared interest of my big brother, Drew, and I, and we continue to draw together and share this with the other five of the seven children in our family.
I am currently working in graphite, colored pencil, and pen-and-ink, but, being a young and growing artist am expanding my horizons and trying other styles. Although I always have, and continue to enjoy wildlife art, I spent a couple of years interested in fantasy art and art of the medieval ages, designing a world with my artist friend Wesley Talbott. I am currently really enjoying portraiture, working from photos. I also enjoy digital photography.
Early inspiration for me came from artists who I tried to copy and I believe influenced my appreciation of art. When I was about 4 years old, my favorite artist was Pierre Renoir and after that Claude Monet. I have been inspired by wildlife painter Christopher B. Walden, and by my friend Jody Sjogren who is a professional artist. Mrs. Sjogren, my brother, and I enjoy sketching and painting together.
My other great interest is music. I have been playing the violin since I was four years old, and am also a violist. Music goes hand-in-hand with art very nicely; I almost always listen to classical music while I am doing art. It is wonderful to be able to do both music and art. I was the 1st place winner in the 2006 Knox County Young Musicians' competition, and the 1st place winner of the 2006 Newark/Granville Young Musicians' competition. I entered both competitions with the Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor and performed its first movement with the orchestras of Knox County and Newark/Granville in Feb. 2007. In 2007 I was again the 1st place winner of the Knox County Competition Young Musicians' Competition, and performed the Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major with the Knox County Symphony. In Feb. 2008 I won 1st place in the violin Gold level of the Columbus Women in Music Young Artists String Competition, as well as 1st place in the Senior division of the Columbus Music Teachers' Association Achievement Awards Competition. I am currently Assistant Concertmaster in the Newark/Granville Youth Symphony, and have previously played as principal violist. Three of my siblings are also in the first violin section, and my brother James is in the Cello section. My family plays lots of music together and we perform for many events in ours and other communities.
I love the outdoors and deer hunting. I am a traditional archer and with help of bowyer Tracy Trickett, I built my own longbow. I love this type of hunting, and also gunhunt. My time in the outdoors hunting is treasured and brings me a great appreciation for nature and the wildlife I come in contact with. I have entered the Bowhunter Magazine Youth Essay Contest, an international writing competition, the last three years. I placed 15th, 13th, and 9th place.
I am a Christian young man and am pleased to attribute everything to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I thank Him for the talents He has given me, and pray that I will be able to develop them to the best of my ability. I hope you will be able to see my love for the Creator and His creatures in my artwork.