A year ago, I had never picked up a paint brush to make art.
Sure, I had been making things digitally since the late ’90s. Creating on a screen felt natural to me. But drawing and painting by hand lived in a different category altogether, somewhere in the realm of “not for me” or “probably beyond me.”
Then, 11 months ago, something changed.
My daughter was given some leftover paints and brushes, and through that simple gift a door opened. Since that moment, I’ve filled multiple sketchbooks with drawings and paint studies, starting with watercolor pens and eventually settling into acrylics. Since then I’ve made thousands of drawings and completed 110 acrylic paintings on canvas or large-format paper, all while continuing to write daily on Substack.
That still feels a little unreal to say.
What I love most is that none of this came through mastery first. It came through permission. Through curiosity. Through repetition. Through letting myself make outsider art without waiting for credentials, permission slips, or some imaginary moment of readiness.
And I really do love what’s emerging.
At the end of last year, I attended my first art show with three pieces. It was a wonderful experience—sharing the work, meeting other artists, and realizing that art does not have to stay private to be real. That experience clarified something for me: I want to share my paintings much more in 2026.
So this year, I’m doing exactly that.
We currently have four shows on the calendar, and the first one is happening this Saturday, March 28, during Future of Sound Fest near Factory Obscura in Automobile Alley in downtown Oklahoma City. I’ll be one of more than 40 artists set up to share our creations, and I’ll have over 100 pieces with me. About half of them will be donation-optional if something speaks to you and wants to go home with you.
That part matters to me.
I want people to be able to encounter the work without too much formality. To browse. To connect. To take something home because it resonates, not because art has to stay locked behind polished gallery logic. I’m interested in access, energy, resonance, and honest exchange.
Future of Sound Fest is a free, all-ages music and art festival happening on 9th Street from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Along with the artist market, the day will include six live bands performing on the hour from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM, outdoor artworks and performances, interactive experiences, local shopping, and the larger Factory Obscura creative atmosphere that always feels a little bit like stepping sideways into a better timeline.
So this is my invitation:
Come by.
Come say hi.
Come look at the paintings.
Come hang out in the strange and beautiful field where music, art, community, and experimentation overlap.
If you’ve been reading my work here and want to see another side of what’s been unfolding in me this past year, this is part of it.
Painting has become one of the great surprises of my life.
And this Saturday, I’d love to share it with you.
Future of Sound Fest
Saturday, March 28
2:00 PM – 8:00 PM
9th Street near Factory Obscura, Automobile Alley, Downtown OKC
Free and open to all ages
And this is only the beginning.
In April, I’ll be showing four pieces at Pancakes and Booze, and in May I’ll have a painted skateboard and spray can at DNA Galleries alongside other OKC artists.
But first: this Saturday.
Come find me.