I took this photo while on a summer trip in Japan. On one of our last nights in Tokyo, I went out on a walk to try and capture some of Shinjuku's vibrant nightlife. As it neared midnight, it began to rain; and the streets that had been lively hours before became progressively empty. While making my way back to the hotel, I came across this group of businessmen huddled under their clear plastic umbrellas. I presume they were about to head their separate ways home for the night, but before they did so I was able to take this photo. I think the scene captures the peaceful atmosphere of late-night Shinjuku quite well; representing a time in which remaining restaurants close, the streets clear out, and only a few stragglers are left roaming the light-soaked streets.

Silence is a bit of an indulgent song. Inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche, it features histrionic vocals, punctilious melodies, and harsh lyrics. Within its radical outfit lies several thematic interrogations. There are two distinct vocal characters in “Silence” - first is a solitary, deep man (most directly influenced by Nietzsche’s writings and legacy); the other is the “crowd” in general.

As a storyteller, I am always looking for a new perspective or idea to share with the world. With this film, I had the challenge of trying to convey a powerful message in a 5 minute documentary.

The Sky symphony explores darkness and grandeur, solemness and awe. The listener follows a journey from the base of a mountain to its summit, and it is at the top where one experiences the epic infinity that is the sky.

Serenity, best defined as a sublime state of calmness and inner tranquility, is a remarkable facet of existence. One day, I came across an image of an elderly Tibetan lady peacefully napping under the sun, and I was quickly motivated to capture the essence of her serene aura with the nuanced shades of colored pencil. Despite the passage of time reflected in the woman’s snowy hair and weather-beaten countenance, her heart emanates an unparalleled sense of tranquility, a state that we all aspire to in our daily lives. As I envision myself one day reaching her seasoned age, I aspire to emulate the remarkable composure and peace she embodies, transcending the external signs of how time passes to embrace an inner serenity that endures life's transitions.

I try to understand everything I paint in order to depict it truly, and people have been one of the toughest by far. In this painting, I show my attempts at this in every fold of skin and fabric, every plane shift that reveals a new color to the world, to try and connect beautiful complexity to a cohesive whole. I love people, and I find almost everyone beautiful, but I can’t always say it, so I paint it instead. My artwork is my love. In my works, I emphasize one element that I find striking, and in this piece it’s her white dress that almost glows with its own light. The subtle folds and reflections pushed me to understand color and my medium of oil in order to convey the impression the clothing had on me. The time I spend painting helps me understand the details that make up the things I love, and look at the world differently every time, with new details and observations in mind. Although I capture different subjects every time, my fascination with the people and things around me remains the same, and I hope to share my appreciation each time.

While visiting Canada over the summer, we would usually have to wait until at least 1am in order to see the northern lights. This night however, we heard everyone rushing outside at only around 10:30-11pm, while the sunset was still visible. The dancing lights were the strongest then of any other night, despite it not being very dark out. I knew this was a special and unusual moment, so I wanted to get the aurora and the sunset in the frame. With a long enough exposure, the stars became visible too. The challenge was that the lights were moving, so too long of an exposure and they would blur out of the photo. This photo shows the delicate balance of a long enough exposure to see the stars clearly, while not blowing out the sunset or allowing the aurora to disappear. I was also drawn to the swirling pattern of the aurora, something I had not seen in photos of the northern lights in the past.

This piece was inspired by the work of Cristina Troufa. I specifically wanted to incorporate her use of foreshortening, negative space, and natural bright colors. This piece is 36x48 inches. My goal was to make the viewer feel small and looked down at, which I did by having the perspective be from the food on a table with people surrounding it eating the viewer. All the faces are mine, so it is a self portrait.

Written by the iconic Dizzy Gillespie, “A Night in Tunisia” is a vibrant composition that draws influences from Afro-Cuban rhythms and bebop brilliance. The tune starts off with intricate harmonies and rhythms, taking the listeners on a nostalgic journey though timeless melodies.