I grew up in La Crosse, WI, and graduated from UW-La Crosse while earning my degree in Art Education. While attending UW-La Crosse I met my lovely wife, Sarah, who is also an artist, art teacher, and printmaker. My wife and I both teach high school art in Baraboo, WI. I teach 2D courses at the high school which includes all courses related to drawing, painting, and printmaking. I am a printmaker at heart and love creating woodcut, linocut, and intaglio prints in our home printshop. My wife and I have also created a small business, Roundabout Press, where we sell fine art prints, woodblock printed towels, aprons, and tote bags. In our home studio, we have 4 etching presses, and I enjoy restoring presses and bringing them back to their former glory. I have an amazingly happy and joyful 6-year-old son named Finley, and a smiley and happy 2-year-old son named Forrest. My wife and I now have a fully functioning etching and woodcut facility with acid baths, a drying rack, multiple work tables, a soaking tray, two large floor-standing etching presses, and 2 tabletop etching presses. I specialize and focus my time and artistic talents towards fine art printmaking. This past year I created over 45 different carvings/printed images and continue to work each day on new carvings and etchings.
My printmaking is very graphic in appearance. The subject matter captured within my work is deeply rooted in places, people, objects, and memories that hold a deep personal significance to me. The most recurring subject matter in my work is the inherent beauty of nature. I find nature, specifically trees, to be a very captivating and inspiring subject matter. The usage of linework is very important to me and holds a great amount of value when I am working. This is very integral to my work as an intaglio and woodcut printmaker. I find that my usage of the line is directly tied to my fascination with creating variations in value using just black ink. I enjoy using highly detailed, layered, and overlapping lines to create the illusion of different gray tones. The wide variety of textures and values that can be achieved using this technique intrigues and inspires me and drives my work.
My goal as an artist is to represent who I am through my artwork. Whether that is being weird and quirky, sentimental, a nature-lover, someone obsessed with trees, or someone who is trying to convey the struggles they are dealing with. Whatever I create has to mean something to me and be a part of who I am or who I was. My work is always based on my personal experiences and interests. I need to be deeply connected to what I am making for it to turn out the way I envision. Printmaking is the way I can achieve this goal. Hopefully, you will find a print in my collection to connect to and enjoy!