I grew up on 90 acres of farmland out west in the Rockies, where Alberta meets British Columbia and Montana on the map.  I worked on that land, and the land I labored on had its effect on me.  Not just in terms of learning the value of physical labor and witnessing the law of the harvest, but it poured itself into all of my senses. In the quiet of the early hours, the dry chinook breeze whispered softly in my ears and often at day's end grew to a gail, pressing my face with a howling roar.  On some days while waiting, I would sit on the irrigation pipe and could smell the morning hay wet with the night’s dew, the chromatic colors of the sunrise and sunset would set fire to the southern or northern slopes of the jagged mountains to the west.  The American West became the roots of my spirituality and creative practice.  

In my art, themes of the human condition have a voice.  With my work,  I explore the hierarchy of my Identities and values through self-portraiture and images of family.  Elements of the masculine and generational relationships also inform my creative work.  

My introduction to photography began with an interest in astronomy.  I was amazed at how the camera could capture light invisible to my eyes.  Being a spiritual person, I find spiritual archetypes, symbols, metaphors, and analogies in the sky, land and figures around me and find that inspiration flowing into my imagery. In the visual language I create, I use the dramatic qualities of light and dark to express spiritual polarities.  Reducing the color world to B&W breaks down the indexical nature of my photographs, giving them a simpler formalistic quality.  This less descriptive B&W allows for easier reference to the spiritual dualities of good and evil or justice and mercy.  

Education:

2024    M.F.A. Maine Media College

2003     B.F.A. Brigham Young University

1998      Associates in Photography, Ricks College, Idaho

Exhibits and Honors:

2025

“Introspection”, Two Person Exhibit, The Gallery on Sixth, Orem, UT

“Spring Salon”, Juried Exhibition, Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT

“Spiritual Art of Utah”, Juried Exhibit, Museum of Art Springville, UT

2024

“Silent Mountain””, One Person Exhibit, Canlas Gallery, Provo, UT

“Spring Salon”, Juried Exhibition, Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT

U.V.U. Faculty Exhibit, Utah Valley Museum of Art At Lakemount, Orem, UT

 Maine Media MFA Exhibit, Group Show, Russell Gallery, Rockport, Maine

2023

"Composing Chaos" Invitational exhibit, Sixth Floor Gallery, Orem, UT

 U.V.U. Faculty Exhibit, Utah Valley Museum of Art At Lakemount, Orem, UT

2021

"Depictions of Divinity" Invitational exhibit, Springville Museum of Fine Art, Springville, UT

 “Spiritual Art of Utah”, Juried Exhibit, Museum of Art Springville, UT

2020
"One Shot / Movement" International Photography Awards,  Online Exhibit

 U. V. U. Faculty Exhibit, Woodbury Museum of Art, Orem, UT

2019     
U. V. U. Faculty Exhibit, Woodbury Museum of Art, Orem, UT

“Spiritual Art of Utah”, Juried Exhibit, Museum of Art Springville, UT

“Enchanted Lands”, 2 Person Exhibit, Hope Museum and Gallery of Fine Art

2018     
U. V. U. Faculty Exhibit, Woodbury Museum of Art, Orem, UT

“Sacred Spaces – Archetypes and Symbols”,  Invitational Group Exhibit, Museum of Art, Springville, UT

“33rd Annual Spiritual & Religious Art””, Juried Exhibit, Museum of Art Springville, UT

2017      
U. V. U. Faculty Exhibit, Woodbury Museum of Art, Orem, UT

“Spring Salon”, Juried Exhibition, Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT

“Sacred Spaces – Archetypes and Symbols”, Group Exhibit by Invitation, Museum of Art Springville, UT

2016     
“Spring Salon”, Juried Exhibition, Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT

“31st Annual Spiritual & Religious Art of Utah”, Juried Exhibit, Museum of Art Springville, UT

U. V. U. Faculty Exhibit, Woodbury Museum of Art, Orem, UT

2015      
“Spring Salon”, Juried Exhibition, Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT

“30th Annual Spiritual & Religious Art of Utah”, Juried Exhibit, Museum of Art Springville, UT

U. V. U. Faculty Exhibit, Woodbury Museum of Art, Orem, UT

2014      
“Spring Salon”, Jurried Exhibition, Springville Museum of Fine Art Springville, UT

“European Landscapes”, Group Exhibit, Hope Gallery, Park City, UT

Group Exhibit U. V. U. Faculty, Woodbury Museum of Art Orem, UT

2013      
“Contemporary Landscapes”, Solo Exhibit, Hope Museum of Fine Art Park City, UT

“Spring Salon”, Jurried Exhibition, Springville Museum of Fine Art Springville, UT

Group Exhibit U. V. U. Faculty, Woodbury Museum of Art Orem, UT

2012      
“Spring Salon”, Jurried Exhibition, Springville Museum of Fine Art Springville, UT

U. V. U. Faculty Exhibit, Woodbury Museum of Art Orem, UT

“Contemporary Utah Landscapes”, Invitational Exhibit, C. D. A. Gallery S.L.C., UT

2011      
“PX3” Prix de la Photographie, Juried Exhibit Paris, France

“Natural to Supernatural”, Group Exhibit, C. D. A. Gallery S.L.C., UT

“Transformed by Light” 4 Person Exhibit, B.F. Larson Gallery Provo, UT

“Best of Utah”, Group Exhibit, Contemporary Design & Art Gallery S.L.C., UT

Faculty Show, Group Exhibit, Woodbury Art Museum Orem, UT

2010      
“Utah Artists”, Group Exhibit, Contemporary Design & Art Gallery S.L.C., UT

“25th Annual Spiritual & Religious Art of Utah”, Juried Exhibit, Museum of Art Springville, UT

2009    
 “Essence of Body”, Juried Exhibit, Contemporary Design & Art Gallery S.L.C., UT

“Modern and Contemporary Exhibit”, Group Exhibit, Hope Museum of Fine Art Park City, UT

“Rise”, U. V. U. Faculty Exhibit, Springville Museum of Art Springville, UT

2008    
 “PERSPECTIVES : UTAH LAKE”, Three Man Show, Covey Center Arts Gallery Provo, UT

“Spring Salon”, Juried Exhibition, Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT

“The Ancient Isles”, Solo Exhibit, Hope Gallery & Museum of Fine Art S.L.C., UT

2007      
“International Exhibition of Fine Art Photography”, Jurried Exhibit, Fort Collins, CO Museum of Contemporary Art

“Spring Salon”, Jurried Exhibition, Springville Museum of Art Springville, UT

2006      
“The Spring Salon” Springville Museum of Art, juried group show Springville, UT

2005      
“The Spring Salon” Springville Museum of Art, juried group show Springville, UT

2004      
“The Spring Salon” Springville Museum of Art, juried group show Springville, UT

2003      
“The Altered Landscape”, B.F. Larson Gallery, solo exhibit Provo, UT

“Hallowed Places”, Springville Museum of Art, solo exhibit by invitation Springville, UT

1997      
“Spring Show”, Spori Gallery, juried group exhibit Rexburg, ID

Selected Honors:

2024     Honorable Mention, The Spring Salon, Juried Exhibit, Springville Museum of Art

2022     Paul Caponigro Scholarship, Maine Media College

2021      Honorable Mention,“PX3” Prix de la Photographie, Paris, France

2020     Two Honorable Mentions, 2020 International Photography Awards One Shot / Movement

2012      A Directors Award, The Spring Salon, Juried Exhibit, Springville Museum of Art

2011       Bronze Award, “PX3” Prix de la Photographie, Paris, France

2010      Third Place, 25th Annual Spiritual & Religious Art of Utah, Juried Exhibit, Springville Museum of Art

2009     Two nominations and one honorable mention, “Black and White Spider Awards”, Juried Exhibit

2006      Award of Merit, The Spring Salon, Juried Exhibit, Springville Museum of Art

2005      Award of Merit, The Spring Salon, Juried Exhibit, Springville Museum of Art

2004      Award of Merit, The Spring Salon, Juried Exhibit, Springville Museum of Art

2002      Mentoring Grant, Brigham Young University

2001       O.R.C.A. Scholarship, Brigham Young University

1998       Talent Award, Brigham Young University

1997       First place and an Award of Merit, Group Show, Juried Exhibit, Spori Gallery