We spent a fair amount of time together as teenagers, and he was always an artist, drawing psychedelic mushrooms in abstract backgrounds all over the desktop of our freshmen biology lab. Some of my favorite yearbook entries are Cliff's, as they are all so beautiful and artful. As it often happens, I lost touch with my friend for many years, only to become reacquainted and discover that not only is he still creating art, but he is an artist. Like, a real artist (last month, he traveled to Miami and was featured in an art show).
He has made his love for art his passion in life. He says he is "inspired by all aspects of life", although he credits his dreams with providing him with most of his inspiration. He mused that "dreams happen in a place where there are no rules, which is what I feel is a necessary element for originality to continue to progress in the art world".
I LOVE that.
His art truly comes from a place with no rules. He works with various media, including pastels, graphite, and pencils. He experiments with photo-realism and abstract design. Some of his work seems to come alive, like this acrylic painting titled "Exhale"
Other designs are more realistic, like "Octopus" (pastel) and "Elk in the Rain" (colored pencil). {So, let me just say that I LOVE Octopus so much! He created real movement....so much that I can see it swimming }
Even then, his line titled Graphite Photorealism, is inspiring in that it draws out some vulnerability from his subjects.The piece "Lennon" draws me in to really consider the face of this very famous man. Cliff has found a way to elicit some sense of both sadness and curiosity in the subject, in a very delicate, subtle way.
I am deeply proud of my friend, and am so happy to have the chance to brag on him a little bit.
Please, please click on the following link and check out his work!! If interested, he also commissions custom pieces. His site can be found at www.primativedesign.com so JUST GO CHECK IT OUT AND SIGN HIS GUESTBOOK!
