i read these familiar lyrics about 5 years ago in a bathroom stall of all places, at Captain Nick's Rock-n-Roll Bar in Block Island, Rhode Island. they were written in black pen inside a simple outline drawing of the shape of the island. something about it made me feel the need to awkwardly take my phone out and snap a photo. Block Island has been in my life since i was a kid. it holds a piece of me that is hard to find anywhere else. it feels like coming home. and home, is where i want to be. 

shortly after, i was commissioned by a friend to paint a large piece for our mutual friends' wedding gift. they also have strong ties to the island, so my plan was to create a large abstract, colorful, expressionistic piece representing the island, and all the places on the island that held meaning for them. coincidentally, (it's not a very big island), many of their favorite places were mine as well. creating this piece felt like relating to them on a new level, through shared experiences that were, oddly enough, experienced separately.

this is the power of place, and also the power of art. i may not have the same memories of a certain place as you do, or even feel the same emotions while i am there, but is that not also how we experience art? 

when I visited Block Island most recently in June 2023, the bathroom stall graffiti was still there, but this time there were a few new contributions. people had scrawled "still holds up", "still true", and "always" with the various dates of their visits. the idea that so many people can feel the same sense of comfort in one place, all in their own unique but equally impactful ways, is something i am exploring in this series. colors, textures, and shapes can remind us of the places we love and the memories we made there. through artistic communication we can share the same space for a minute or two.

i would love to paint your "place" the way you see it. get in touch here.