"See Well"
3" × 3"
Micro colored pencil via @igotokyostore on black post-it note
2026
Honestly shocked by the quality of these impossibly small pencils. Nice soft wax and respectable pigment load. Not exactly sure these will be replacing my primary tool set, but they work in a pinch!!
"To Delete a Mockingbird"
9" x 12"
Colored pencil and gouache on black paper
2026
There are many small worlds inside my works.
The title of this piece is inspired by my father's all time favorite movie. I do not know exactly the meaning of this modified title, so perhaps you can let me know your thoughts on the potential link.
I am excited to have incorporated more fully the usage of gouache into this piece. It opened up new pathways and allowed for deeper modification and more broad changes to be made quickly, as opposed to the long and tedious process of filling area with only colored pencil.
I noticed many of the sections that I have zoomed in on make great compositions in their own right. I find this interesting, and perhaps a bridge to cross at a later time when pursuing larger works.
All in all I am glad to be fully focusing on exploring the depths of my imagination. I find it to be more rewarding, when it works, than any other practice. Of course, there are other things I would like to do in different mediums, perhaps sequential ideas, but I am enjoying this ongoing series of works on black paper. It feels like a nice linear way forward, which is a much appreciated consistency in the midst of a chaotic world.
One more thing: I have been including many eyes into my works. I have some thoughts about this. Number one: the eye is the most geometrically beautiful part of the body, with all its complexity and intersections. I also realize that peoples' eyes leave the greatest impression on me as the root of their individual beauty. I also feel that the eyes serve as a sort of "grounding" entry point into the work, and I feel that it is symbolic of my own method of entry into the murky world of my own imagination. Also, to have a work look directly back at you is an arresting feeling.
Anyway, I hope I have not said too much. I have a lot of thoughts about these things. I am glad to be fostering my relationship with art.
: )
"B1"
9" x 12"
Colored pencil on black paper
2026
Sometimes I go through a dark spell.
I feel compelled to walk into a darkening city in an attempt to distance from my personhood. Perhaps there, in a concrete area with a rush of cold wind swirling around me, I may see past the veil of daily life.
In a night land, I have followed the scent of a fundamental and true aspect of this strictly physical world, to discover that order which may lie below the surface of our tangible reality.
What is this mysterious force that guides me through the night? And might I possibly come in contact with the realm whose long, transparent fingers have reached out to touch me?
It is impossible to say what use a body would have in a place beyond walls and order. I have tended to think that there is something inside me that seeks to escape, or perhaps aims to prevail over physical life. I know there is something below all this. I can feel it moving.
"Tomiko's Wind Harp"
9" x 12"
Colored pencil on black paper
2026
yes it certainly feels like it's been a very long road to be able to present even one drawing. my commitment and work ethic has sputtered over the years, but I am finally witnessing the foundations I've managed to lay for myself. I've finally come to understand the fundamental value in the act of completion, as it was the critical element absent from my practice. I have mainly been interested in developing a portfolio of work, but was unable to do so for reasons relating to some lack of faith in my abilities and a perceived futility of any efforts. I have been forced to regain a love for the pure pursuit of quality and refinement that has always pushed me down this path. I think that when I trust my instincts I am able to do things that always surprise and excite me, and this is exactly what my responsibility towards art is. there is a world and a vision that exists in every new work, but it can never be realized if my faith in myself wavers— even for a single moment.
thank you for taking the time to view one of my newest colored pencil works on paper. there will be more as soon as I scan, composite, and edit the rest.
j e t s m i t h X s o u n d c r e w e
all natural sound / unnatural form factor
full-range drivers: tangband W3-1878
tweeters: peerless by tymphany
thank you to David and Keeli for the this awesome design opportunity, and for the many great achievements that have come from your support at Area 61. I will always cherish the time I've spent there and the many new friends I've made as a result. 🤍 long live Area 61!
