The Old Days Bring Us To Today

I wanted to share the past 6 years of my career with you here. If you've read some of my interviews, you know that I didn't go to school for art, not really - and the way I got my start was through my friend who knew a girl that was putting on art shows on the weekends. He gave me her contact, she was into my work, and I started showing with Create;Fixate in '04. My work did really well in that first show called "Muses" - an all girl show in a warehouse in Beverly Hills. I also got into showing my work at Cannibal Flower shows with LC (of Cannibal Flower and Thinkspace Gallery) back then. I look back on these shows and just think how young and naive I was. I didn't know anyone, didn't know any thing.





I started showing with Thinkspace Gallery in '05 in their Picks Of The Harvest group shows. I don't have any images from the shows because I was too shy to come out! My pieces did really well tho, I think the DJ to Lincoln Park picked up a few of them back then which was soooooo exciting to me! I hope he still has em - I guess I'll never know!







One of my biggest moments (that made me feel like I might be successful one day) was when I got the email from Gallery 1988 (Los Angeles) to be part of their Disney show in February '06. This was going to be a huge show in the press, and I was swept up in the wirlwind! I did three pieces inspired by Alice In Wonderland (of course!) and was so very happy when they chose one for their flyer! Weee!









I started showing with the Corey Helford Gallery at their first group show in May '06. This was one of their very first shows as a new gallery, and we were all so excited and eager for the future.







The Smitten Group Show at Thinkspace Gallery in '07 was pretty hugely influencial to me and my career. That was the first time I did a painting on wood with acrylic and ink and it sold before the show opened. That blew my mind and I was so excited! The show was awesome, we all had a blast!







My Sugar And Silence Show at Corey Helford Gallery in "07 was soooo exciting and sooo scary for me! I remember months of being nervous and praying that people would show up! Honestly, I was scared. But that night was incredible, so much support and love from the crowd, fellow artists and the gallery. You can see in the works that my candy theme was strong and prominent. It couldn't have been a better experience!





My Wonderland show in June '08 at Copro Nason Gallery was a great second solo show, my theme was Circus Story Book meets Wonderland but my mom got sick and passed away during the making of this show and my focus took a turn for the dark side a bit. Some of the pieces and titles directly reflect the pain and suffering during that time.







My So Good For Little Bunnies show in June '08 at Gallery 1988 Los Angeles. This was such an exciting event for me, I had been working on the book for about 2 years prior - so eager for this day! Here's my dorky face in front of one of the Sasquatch pieces from the book that represented my dad - NOT because he's a sasquatch, but because he has a lot of hair and a big beard and mustache.





This is work from the group show Modern Amusement at Gallery 1988 San Fransisco in September '08. To this day, these are some of my favorite pieces of all time - I can't explain it. They just hit me a certain way, and I use them still as inspiration for work today.





Baby Tattooville was very important to me in October '08. It really helped me to feel comfortable around other artists, and just relax and be myself and maybe stop being so shy. A weekend with some great artists, working together, having a great time was just what I needed to force myself to come out of my shell that much more.




{My sister! cute!}



And then my latest solo show Run Rabbit Run at Thinkspace Gallery in April '09. This was one of my biggest shows, lots of press and people behind it with their love and support. My theme was Darkness and Pain, due to what I was going through with losing my mom.

This is my career (my love) in a nutshell. As I sit here now, six years later, I can believe it. I'm so grateful... to have been given a chance by all these people and galleries and even collectors. Inside, I feel like I did when I was little - sitting at the bar in the kitchen with my crayons and white typing paper drawing goblins and haunted houses with my sister. I still love it the way I did then, I'm still challenged the way I was then, and I'm still eager the way I was then. And I'm thankful for that and for the avenues that have been open to me in this world. I would've never thought...