Neo-Expressionist Mixed-Media. It isn't just a type of art: it's the way to a creative freedom that knows no bounds and no boxes. It allows me to bleed that rebellious nature, raw emotion, and primal spontaneity onto canvases of any and all forms to capture the pure, unfiltered spirit of the human experience. Whether I'm painting a postmodern vision, writing my next work of metaphysical fiction, or recording an indie-folk track with my musical instruments and sensuous poetry, I am at home here.

The raw, bestial surfaces of both our world and our faces and the endless depths of beautiful chaos and divine order that lie beyond our five senses and behind the windows to our soul. The temporary nature of life made eternal by our unique experiences, the infinite layers of possibility, and the Jungian Archetypes that constitute the DNA of our soul. The resilience of the human spirit I witness daily as a special education teacher working with the strongest and bravest of our kind. Life is art.

Day job: helping people with disabilities develop skills & plans needed for leading fulfilling lives. I've seen firsthand the magical power art has in building internal harmony and balance while transmitting external connection and understanding. My plan is to use the money to develop an art program dedicated to helping people uncover the raw creative energy within all of us that, when harnessed, changes lives and as a result, changes the world. I echo the healing mission of The Art of Elysium.