SN’s Inspiration: The Beauty of Nature and Art

Childhood Memories of Superheroes:

As a child, Steve Austin, aka The Six Million Dollar Man, was one of the first superheroes I knew. One of my strongest and earliest memories is imitating the pop culture icon in hopes that the girl I was in love with in my kindergarten class, Elizabeth, would see me and love me back. I believed I needed to be a superhero if I wanted to win the love of a princess.

A Love for Wildlife:

When I was younger, I had an encyclopedia about wildlife, my bible. I cherish the memories with my father when we would watch birds with binoculars in the fields near my childhood home. I remember the excitement I would feel over seeing them at such a close distance. I used to draw birds of prey and leopards on copy paper at the desk in my room. I loved watching and capturing the natural beauty of our world. The predators are the superheroes of nature, they give off a sense of confidence, and maybe, as a child, I didn’t have the power to feel that way.

Chasing My Passion as an Adult: While I have always dreamed of becoming a National Geographic photographer because I was fascinated with nature and art, I only decided to chase my passion as an adult. When I was 35, I felt my life was getting further and further away from what I wanted it to be. My interior was very far from my exterior. I understood that I have the power to swim against the tide and to create my path. I started to make more time for art and photography in my daily life, and eventually, I found my footing within the artistic world.

Traveling for Inspiration: Traveling and seeing the world holds an immense amount of importance for me. In my 20’s, I took my first big trip to New Zealand, Australia, Vietnam, and Thailand. This trip meant a lot to me because it was the first time I traveled with a film camera and the first time I felt what it was like to be a photographer. I felt like the man I dreamed of being when I was a kid – I was a National Geographic photographer. I was a superhero with a camera, and from that moment on, I knew that was the life I wanted. My favorite places to travel are where it is possible to feel the stars at night.

Creating Art as a Storyteller:

My work combines beauty and a story, making me a storyteller when creating art.

An Appreciation for Death and Beauty: Aging is a sorrowful story, and I have always been interested in death. As a teenager, I constantly covered my school desk with skulls, representing death, mortality, and the unachievable nature of immortality. When it comes to my artwork, the combination of beauty, aesthetics, and symmetry is essential. With skulls, it’s not perfect symmetry, but it’s symmetrical. My dynamic black-and-white photographs of skulls and majestic animals are all brought to life through 3D butterflies. I create artwork that nourishes the eye and heart through butterfly installations. Each mounted butterfly adds the perspective of my passion for nature.

Nature as the Focus: Through my camera lens, I can catch wild animals in their natural habits, drawing attention to the animals and the beauty surrounding them. My life-long appreciation for the world’s wonders evokes emotion within each photograph, transporting viewers to places they can not go. To explore more of my nature-focused artworks, visit my website.