Portfolio

Artist Statement

I have spent a considerable portion of my career in the military, but I have also gained experience on the civilian side of the workforce. Therefore, I have seen two different worlds regarding the military, those on the outside who look in at military life, and another that those on the inside understand. Within the military, there is a high demand for discipline, which, from those on the inside, is a constant internal battle they must fight. For those on the outside, this battle seems overbearing and even unnecessary at times. These pieces of art display a glimpse of the reality that those on the inside see. While completing this project, I found a similar discipline was needed for each watercolor piece. There was a need for patience, focus, and persistence that was both different and similar to the reality of military life.

Through these pieces, I painted moments from my own experiences and the training that has become a part of my routine from my time in the military. Traveling through different terrains is a part of training events, from the qualification shooting range to the woods, it is a normal part for those inside the military. While these events and environments are routine for those in the military, those on the outside may perceive them as unfamiliar. This unfamiliarity can strike emotions of curiosity and questions to those outside the military. By illustrating these scenes, I seek to connect what is routine to me to what is not often seen by others.

In deciding which medium to use for these projects, I felt that watercolor was the best representation of how I wanted to navigate these pieces. Watercolors are a difficult medium to work with; therefore, it requires lots of patience. The most difficult aspect of working with watercolors is the ability to control the water. Water is free and natural, therefore requiring me to accept unintentional mistakes and “happy accidents”. Through layering colors, I was required to adapt to the ever changing ways of where the medium took me. This process of adapting and accepting mistakes in my body of work reflects my own experiences in the military, where adaptation and acceptance are fundamental.

For the viewers of these projects, I aim to provide a view into these small glimpses of military training and encourage them to think about the details and amount of work that are required within these training events. The form of watercolor, where the water naturally blends and becomes soft, complements how I want the viewers to see my work. The details of these artworks can be considered undefined compared to other forms of artwork. With this soft-looking appearance, viewers are encouraged to step back and view the pieces as a whole to understand the whole story. This reflects how military life can be understood from the outside; sections can be seen, but it cannot be fully understood without stepping back and understanding the full context.

Throughout the work on these pieces, I have drawn from my experiences within the military and civilian worlds. My work seeks to display the challenging disparities between the way of military life from the inside and the way that it is perceived from the outside world. Throughout navigating the medium of watercolor, I have chosen to represent the training that, for many, is not easily understood. The watercolor medium is a reflection of the disciple and patience that is required to live a military lifestyle.