Study of Manet's 'Rag Picker'.  Ballpoint pen on paper, 1.5" x 2"

The more complete version, in oil, of the Phaethon concept painting. Still a work in progress.

Studies of a cat in motion

An interesting new subject: my body pillow

18x24 ink on paper

The mural design above was not accepted, but could be used in the future.

Despicted are Plato and Aristotle to be on the side of a Santa Barbara House facing the ocean. They are dressed in wetsuits and are carrying surfboards named for their respective seminal works (Timeus and the Nicomacheaen Ethics).

The dialogue emerges from the Painted Cave State Historic Park four miles north of the beach, to where they are headed next.

72 x 92cm oil on canvas

Impressionism began the turn-of-the-century competition with photography. Post-Impressionism continued the battle by showing what photography will never achieve.

Photography now competes with the Digital Environment of Photoshop Art.
How will Postmodernism respond? Will it? Please...anything...

18x24 oil on canvas

Patron: Stuart Warren
Adviser: Jared Crawford-White
Instructor: Jane Callister
Models: Stuart Warren, Travis Jepson

To pay for rent, I conjured the personal video game fantasy of my roommate's infiltrating upon UCSB campus. We intend to fan the flames of his pride.

Depicted is Warhammer 40K, an MMORPG, in the aftermath of a vicious battle at UCSB. I, the craftsman, have wreaked the havoc of my patron's mind into reality, as surveyed by my adviser.

Video games are better than real life. But what happens when it becomes real life, on a real living room wall?

"I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag"


"Wellspring of Life"

Phaethon, in case you aren't familiar with the story, is a human son of the Sun god in Greek legend.  He travels to his father's palace to confirm his parentage, and to prove that he is in fact his father, the Sun god offers Phaethon any boon he asks.  Phaethon asks to drive the chariot of the sun across the sky for one day.

The Sun god reluctantly agrees, because he knows how difficult and treacherous the path is.  He warns Phaethon, who doesn't listen, and the chariot takes off.  After a short time the kid is disoriented and terrified, and loses control of the horses.  The chariot leaves its ordinary path across the sky, and flies too high, scorching the skies.  Then it swerves too close to the earth and burns whole sections of the earth.  Zeus, looking down to see why the earth is smoking, sees Phaethon and sends a lightning bolt to shoot him out of the sky.  Phaethon crashes to his death, and Zeus floods the whole world to put out the fire.

It could be said that Phaethon and Icarus are bookend stories; afterall, each flies too high and is brought down.  But Icarus delights in his flight.  His is a triumph, until the very end.  Phaethon is different: his motives are to prove himself.  Even in the beginning of his flight, he is terrified.  Then he loses control and the nightmare begins in earnest.  There is no sweet moment of triumph, no victory.  There is only fear and terror, insecurity and inadequacy.

An imitation of JMW Turner's "Slavers Throwing overboard the Dead and Dying — Typhon coming on".
Collaborative effort of Lauren Leong, Jennifer Hardy, Adria Murphy and Renee Jorgensen. Acrylic on canvas, 18" x 18".

Watercolor, 5" x 7".  Painted on site outside Leonidas Coffee Shop, Pasadena.