MOUTH

MARIO AND YOSHI

THEY FIGHT

This piece was a commentary on the inherent tension between the Abrahamic religions and gay civil rights. I addressed the issue in an irreverent and humorous way.

Digital illustration, shown in Third Gear graduate art review, 7th Floor Gallery, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY

This piece was in a group show titled, simply, 2D, at the Project Lodge in Madison. It is an illustration that dramatizes the scientific method and its superiority to irrational methods of understanding the world.

Absolute Certainty (digital painting, 16 x 20)

Unlike mathematics and logic, the natural sciences build theories around facts and evidence; they cannot and do not attempt to prove assertions with 100% accuracy. Hence, "absolute certainty" hovers above both towers and beyond the scope of the natural sciences.

TINGLE GETS A FAERIE

I created this fan art in appreciation of one of my favorite blogs. The character is from the popular Legend of Zelda series of video games.

Tingle Gets a Faerie (20 x 16 digital painting, 2008)

The blog in question published the piece, which you can see here.

THIS IS NOT PAINTING

I was asked to participate in this show by a fellow grad student, Paul Baker Prindle. He organized the event and planned it to take place in the (then unoccupied) UW-Madison Sterling Hall physics building. The pieces featured images mined from my experiences as a gay white male growing up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

Horned One (20 x 16 digital painting, 2008)

Evolution (20 x 16 digital painting, 2008)

Trinity - Left (16 x 16 digital painting, 2008)

Trinity - Center (16 x 16 digital painting, 2008)

Trinity - Right (16 x 16 digital painting, 2008)

Totem (16 x 20 digital painting, 2008)

*Features partial list of non-human animals known to exhibit homosexual behavior

Caryatid (12 x 16 digital painting, 2008)

INU YASHA

My partner liked this show so I decided to draw a naturalistic version of the title character.

NORTHWOODS GUY

A self portrait.

BEER AND COFFEE

...are delicious.

CHARACTER DESIGN

Original characters for a book I was writing. I had designed most of these before, but here I was learning digital painting techniques and experimenting with a cel shaded aesthetic.

FISH TATTOO

I designed this tattoo for a co-worker. It was in honor of a friend of his who had died. Inked by Fatty at Fatty's Custom Tattooz in Washington, D.C.

Some early design ideas:

SELF PORTRAIT

ZONGKER CHARACTERS

I was asked by my partner's cousin to design some characters for a video he was making. I had just purchased a digital drawing tablet and was still getting used to it.

BALLROOM MASK

Just something silly I made for a ballroom dance. We were given blank white masks to decorate with paint, feathers, sequins, etc., but I just painted my own face on it.

FIELD GUIDE TO HOMOPHOBES

This was intended to be the first section of an illustrated book I wanted to write about homophobia, specifically the many arguments against homosexuality or gay equality. These are meant to be slightly-offensive stereotypes, and for anyone who has had to deal with anti-gay bigotry, viewing these should be a cathartic exercise. However, the remaining sections of the book would evolve past making fun of people, and more critically deconstruct anti-gay arguments themselves. All of these characters are directly based on people and arguments I have encountered in my lifetime, either in person or in the media.

Continue to see them all with commentary: