Welcome To My Studio
Every painting I create starts as a feeling — a spark of memory, rhythm, and pride that I can’t keep to myself. If you’ve found your way here, welcome. This is the place where I share not only my finished work but the heartbeat behind it.
I paint for two reasons:
First, to honor and preserve the beauty of Black culture — our cookouts, our laughter over a spades table, the way gold bamboo earrings catch the light. Second, because creating is my oxygen. When I’m not painting, I feel incomplete, like my days lose their rhythm. My life falls apart without that creative anchor. The canvas is my peace and my protest, my joy and my journal.
One of my favorite parts of the process is my underpainting technique. I work in oils, laying down color and then wiping away paint to reveal highlights. It’s a little like carving light out of shadow, almost like working backwards. Visually, it can be both stunning and confusing to watch — areas emerge from absence, shapes take form from removal. It’s a dance I’ve learned to love, one that forces me to see the subject in terms of light first, then color.
The cultural significance of my work is what drives me to keep picking up the brush. These paintings aren’t just pretty pictures — they are stories. They speak to the strength of our communities, the elegance of our traditions, and the joy in our everyday rituals. Whether it’s a vibrant cookout scene or a quiet moment of a woman styling her hair, every detail is rooted in a lived experience that deserves to be seen and celebrated.
On this blog, you can expect:
Behind-the-scenes peeks at works in progress
The cultural stories behind each painting
Tips on styling art in your home
Spotlights on collectors and why certain pieces resonate with them
Reflections on life as a full-time artist
I’d love for you to join my Collectors Circle — my email list — where you’ll get early access to new pieces, limited editions, and personal studio updates I don’t share anywhere else.
Before you go, drop me a comment below: Which painting first introduced you to my work? I can’t wait to hear your story.
April
