I grew up in sunny California and currently reside in the City of Trees aka, South Pasadena. Its cozy and beautiful and the inspiration surrounds me in abundance. As of 2019 I became a member of The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens Artist Guild and my newer pieces will reflect that.
I've been recovering from having spinal fusion surgery and to say it has been a wild ride would be an understatement.
Before my back went, I had just accomplished ten vested years as a union makeup artist. My latest credits include the film "Honey Boy" and "Fresh Off The Boat" seasons 1-4 and a bunch of other wonderful shows with my full credits on IMDB.
Because of my career as a makeup artist, I've garnered some of the coolest muses on the planet. I have much of my artwork with subjects who are actors and performers, who posed specifically for my paintings. It's been a really special merging of worlds for me.
In August 2017, I decided to attempt a pivot of careers from a makeup artist to acting. Being a makeup artist taught me beyond explanation the ins and outs of filmmaking but as the years went on my love of being on film sets collaborating as a makeup artist wasn't enough which is when I finally took the plunge and enrolled in acting classes over at Anthony Meindl's Actor Workshop in Los Angeles. I had heard great things about it from people I was working with and its been incredibly wonderful for me to learn and explore and grow as a human there.
I had about 7 months of classes under my belt when I got a job as a makeup artist on the upcoming film Honey Boy, and as the films meta fate would have it- they used me in the film as the "Otis' makeup artist" and I got my SAG vouchers needed to be eligible to join the actors union which was serendipitous to say the least.
Once Honey Boy wrapped, I returned back to attending acting classes. I had just observed some of the greatest acting I'd ever seen- ever. I was inspired like nothing I'd felt before, and it showed in my work in classes.
A few months later around October 2018 I realized that my back problems were worsening and I finally got the courage to ask about surgery.
On February 1, 2019 I went through with it.
I'm writing this at my 7 1/2 month recovery mark and I'm doing great. It's been a long and hard life reset but one I feel so grateful for. People ask me why I went through with it and for me there was really no choice. It was either get the surgery and have another chance at pursuing my life dreams, or wither away in pain and regret.
Now being more capable, I'm creating more again, caring more for my health and overall well being while traversing life changing trajectories.
I'm in a terrifying place and I love it.