The Bridge Academy of Art Cast studies

When I was almost 19 years old and finishing up my first two terms of BYU, I came across the Bridge Academy of Art. I immediately enrolled and started studying with Sean Diediker, Jeff Hein, Justin Taylor, and Ben McPherson. Later on I was able to study with J Kirk Richards and Adam Ford as well. They all shaped who I am today, and I'm grateful for each one of them throughout my art education.

Highschool

This post is also dedicated to Mary Reeder. Most of these I did with her, although there are a few that were done while finishing up my senior year in Tennessee. I owe her my love of art and she is at the base of all my inspiration. I will say that the majority of my high school art work was stolen right before the move. These are the ones that survived.

Each picture was meant to be a part of my personality. I don't think I could tell you what each of them meant now, but I know that the purple was meant to say that deep down, I'm a city girl. 

Ink study

Maybe this was to depict that I'm a drop of water in a storm. Teenagers are so dramatic...

This is Robert Frost's poem, "Fire and Ice."

This painting was to depict my grief over my brother, Joseph, who died when I was 16.

This is my neice, Kate. I never finished it... Sorry, Joel and Karen! I eventually will pick this up again and give it to you.

This was actually done during my freshman year at BYU

This was our backyard in Tennessee

Childhood Artwork

This post is entirely credited to Mary Reeder. I think every one of these paintings were done in her studio. There are some very interesting, cute, and somewhat embarrassing paintings of my childhood. I think it gives you a little look into my young self. I may have been a little dramatic...

This was a finger painting done after my sister's friend, who we informally adopted into our family, committed suicide. I remember saying that I was in the middle of the dark and I wanted to get out into the light. I was 13

This was my very first oil painting.

This is where I started to fall in love with texture. This was done with a pallet knife, something that I still use in a lot of my paintings. 

I admit, I had a morbid side of me. I decided to do the death of Joseph Smith for a religious art competition. 

This might have been the first pallet knife painting.

Another pallet knife painting.

My first dry pastel.

WWII carrier pigeon.

This is Joan of Arc, who was my childhood hero. Well, lets be honest, she still is my hero.

This was meant to depict the veterans who fought and died for us. 

And this for everyone to smile at because it is so ridiculous and crazy that I even painted it. I cringe each time I see it.