Artist Statement
I draw the human form. Figures are drawn, yet some details are left unfinished and sometimes just hinted at. To tell a story, I use ephemera, colored pencil, charcoal and graphite pencil on Arches, watercolor paper. The negative space within the composition in relation to the figures and background, all contribute to an atmospheric narrative.
My art is largely autobiographical and is inspired by American popular culture and my worldview. My experience as a graphic designer and my passion for drawing have directly influenced my work and techniques as an artist.
As an artist, I want to reflect and communicate what it means to be an American in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Biographical Information:
Born and raised in Pittsburg, CA. I started seriously studying art at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where I majored in painting. I then went on to the California State University, Northridge, where I studied drawing and printmaking for my Master's degree. I spent a year in Mexico City studying art and architecture at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
I started a career as a graphic designer in Los Angeles and New York City after I graduated, working for companies in and around the business, advertising, and music industries.
It has always been clear in my work that I have a minimalist sensibility to art in general. The early and mid-20th century Swiss designers, a Japanese aesthetic sense, and American minimalist artists are three sources of inspiration.
The “design process” is the foundation of my artistic philosophy. Carefully crafted execution of details and formal composition is what I strive for. I consider myself a draftsman first, an artist/designer second. I currently teach digital design at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ. My art is currently represented by Axiom Contemporary Gallery, Phoenix AZ and Philadelphia, PA. I currently reside in Queen Creek, AZ.
Selected Exhibition Record:
2023 - "The Big Game", Axiom Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2022 - Olney Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2021 - "Focal Points:Minimal/Maximal", Found:RE, Phoenix, AZ
2021 - "Faces and Identities", 9 The Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2020 - Capsule Collection—“Figurative”, 9 The Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2020 - Portland on the Park—“Collection Exhibition”, Phoenix, AZ
2016 – “CA101” South Bay Galleria, Redondo Beach, CA
2015 – “Over Your Sofa”, Blackboard Gallery, Camarillo, CA.,
2014 – “5 X 5”, Westmont Museum of Art, Montecito, CA
2013 – “A View From Within” Blackboard Gallery, Camarillo, CA., 2nd Place Award
2012 – Iconic Images, “The Boomer Years” Studio Channel Islands Art Center, Camarillo, CA
cchc3712@gmail.com • 805.320.6114