The Wilderness is a series of me getting back to my roots. I grew up in the midwest and the great outdoors played a huge role in my up-bringing. I grew up very close to the Niangua River and was fishing, hiking, and camping constantly. My parents instilled the wilderness in me. Shortly after graduating college I moved to St.Louis. It wasn't until I left my home town, that I realized just how much nature meant to me. Painting these contemporary nature scenes helps me fight those urges when I'm so caught up in life.