Where It Started
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been able to draw. As a kid, I could look at a cartoon character, grab a pencil and a blank sheet of paper, and recreate what I saw. Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker, The Flintstones—those were some of my earliest subjects.
Back then, though, art wasn’t a passion. It was simply something I knew how to do. I might draw for a few days and then not pick up a pencil again for weeks or even months. I had no formal art training and never really thought of myself as an artist. I was just someone who could draw.
Over time, cartoons turned into comic book characters, but I was still working within what felt comfortable. I had no idea how far that simple ability would eventually take me.
The Turning Point
Years later, after moving from New York to Georgia, I met a neighbor who was writing stories. He saw some of my artwork and was impressed enough to ask if I would create illustrations for his book. Just talking about art again sparked something in me and motivated me to see what else I could do.
Around that time, I decided I wanted to paint a mural on my bedroom wall. There was just one problem—I didn't feel like I could draw realistically enough to create what I had in mind. Instead of giving up on the idea, I started experimenting with the grid method and challenged myself to draw realistic animals.
That challenge led to Green-Eyed King, my first realistic drawing. When I finished it, I surprised myself. For the first time, I realized I might be capable of much more than cartoons and comic book characters.
That drawing changed the way I looked at my own ability. It made me want to push further, experiment more, and find out just how far I could take my art.
Finding My Own Lane
Once I realized I could push beyond what I had always done, I started experimenting. I tried different pencils, markers, paints, brushes, airbrushing, and eventually began creating on much more than traditional canvas.
Sneakers became canvases. So did hard hats, clothing, furniture, and just about anything else I thought I could transform. Every new surface gave me another opportunity to learn a technique, make mistakes, improve, and discover something new about what I could create.
That experimentation became a major part of who I am as an artist. I never wanted to be limited to one medium, one subject, or one style. If I can imagine something, I want to figure out how to create it.
Somewhere along the way, art stopped being something I did every once in a while and became something I genuinely loved.
DETERMINATION REMAINS
I’m still finding out where this road leads. I create what interests me, what challenges me, what makes me laugh, and sometimes what makes me uncomfortable. Some pieces carry a message. Some tell a story. Some exist simply because I needed to see the idea outside of my own head.
I don’t expect every piece to speak to everyone—and I don’t want it to. I’m building a body of work that reflects who I am, where I’ve been, and where my imagination takes me next.
A Humble Black Artist
When doubt fades, determination remains.