Born and raised under the wide Texas skies, I have long contemplated their significance. The skies are commonly associated with the metaphysical realm, while simultaneously evoking a sense of grounded-ness. Rain or shine, the skies shape our experience in tangible, ordinary ways, and in ways that draw us closer to the divine, through their mystifying light and scale. My work reflects on these perspectives, reconciling the spiritual with the earthly domains.

The luminosity, texture, and depth of cloud forms as subject matter have the power to create quiet moments of transformation for the observer. This is true when looking up at the sky outside, but on the canvas, their gaze feels more intimate. Guided by photographs of the skies primarily taken in the Texas Hill Country, my approach breaks down animated horizons into comprehensible color studies, then increases size and detail with scruffy layers of oil paint, ultimately resulting in large and lifelike final compositions. The terrain is omitted, so as not to weigh down the uplifting nature of connecting with the skies, and as if to offer respite from the chaotic landscape of modern life. These paintings are my personal way of wrestling heaven to earth, in an effort to satisfy a profoundly human urge to cherish life in the present, and to revere its transcendent meaning.