The Places You’ll Go: A Visual Autobiography
After I graduated from the Ringling College of Art and Design, I moved to New York City. Like any artist, the city was the beacon we all gravitated to and after selling most of my possessions, I landed there in September 2003 with my suitcase, portfolio, very little money and no job. I couldn’t have imagined the places, people and relationships I’d make not only there but in the places that followed. Travel with me through this visual journey to explore the places and people I’ve drawn, painted, photographed, and sculpted and the memories that accompany them.
New York City
The address and location were great; Manhattan’s Upper East Side, 91st Street between First and Second Avenues, and walking distance to Central Park and the East River. It was a one-bedroom apartment; my roommate had the bedroom, and I had the living room/ kitchen. The set-up wasn’t bad except for the fact I had no door, so I hung a curtain for privacy. I didn’t have any furniture so on my first night I dumped the clothes from my suitcase onto the floor and slept uncomfortably on them. The next day we went to Bed, Bath and Beyond where I bought one of those cheap egg crate mattress pads. That was my bed for the first year.
Paper Cut-Outs of Matisse 