Because I come from the poorest, drabbest neighborhood in

Chicago, I try to find wonder, color, and pattern in the mundane.

Influenced by my alleypicker Grandfather’s shed full of amazing

discards, I make artworks from scraps of textiles, recycled

paper, and found objects. I am largely self taught, via my

extensive book collection, and inspired by Basquiat, Outsider

art, German Expressionism, and the folk arts of India. I want my

art to reach the common man, so I have begun to mosaic my house,

in an ordinary neighborhood on the southwest side of Chicago,

using broken plates, stones, and shells. I am an obsessive

artist, and carry handmade books with me to sketch, and collect

scraps and ideas wherever I go. I have been a lifelong

storyteller, and have finally channeled many of my interests into

an illustrated novel, published in 2012.

http://www.amazon.com/Balanced-On-The-Edge-ebook/dp/B007JCKG2E