I just wanted to announce two upcoming exhibits in January!
The first will be on January 01, 2020 - February 01, 2020, in which I am the featured artist at Arches Gallery located at the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center. The opening reception for this show will be held on January 11, 2020, from 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m food and refreshments will be served. This show, I am calling "Under the Influence," an exploration of emotions and external factors I have used to create art in the past. There have been many instances where something has willed me to paint and create fueling my hands to whisk across a fresh canvas. Sometimes as a reaction to a situation, a mood, or a song that I had on repeat. In this exhibit, I will be showcasing a few pieces that stood out over the year but will be featuring new paintings created in total silence.
Every day we are bombarded with music, ads, news, advertisements, social media, and the list goes on and on. It's as if the powers that be refuse to let you have a moment to yourself and your inner voice. So I presented myself with the challenge of replacing the time I usually spend blasting music, watching tv, and playing on my phone with silence, journaling, painting, sketch journaling, reading, and listening to classical music. It has proven difficult, and at times I felt such a level of anxiety because I didn't know what to do with myself. Committing to this challenge has allowed me to find a small piece of myself that I have been drowning out for so long. As it turns out, it's this very piece to my puzzle that is crucial to becoming the best version of myself and achieving a full recovery from my past.
So look forward to new paintings that navigate through my innermost thoughts and are a direct reflection of my deep psyche. A story so to speak of a young man walking away from everything he knows into a world full of deep thought and reflection.
I am also featured in a group exhibit at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA. The show is called "Internal Dialogue." For this exhibit, brought to you by Community Building Art Works, veterans were asked to submit different pieces representing multiple versions of one's self in conversation with one another. That show will be up from December 7, 2019 - March 24, 2020. The opening reception will be held toward the end of January. I will update the date here soon and on social media!
The new year has already begun to show me blessings and good fortune. I only have gratitude and appreciation for those close to me that continue to support me in all my craziness! I hope to see everyone I know and to meeting new faces at both of these events.
Mark your calendars and turn on post notifications on Instagram to stay up to date. I will be talking a bit more about the show on my podcast, The Squishee Sandwich!
