day Artwork

February 23, 2025

For 15 years, I built a career in software engineering. Working my way up the white-collar ladder. At the height of my career, working up to the Director or Executive level. At times, running my own businesses. My same-aged friends coined the nickname “Young Money” for me, which I was never big on being titled. Sooner or later, I believe all of us working in an office setting eventually reflect and ask ourselves, “What am I doing?” Questioning if what we’re doing is even meaningful. Maybe longing for the outdoors and venturing into the rest of the world beyond the concrete highrise walls in that corporate park. This painting is meant to exemplify that moment of reflection.

February 2, 2025

A few years ago I had accomplished a dream of mine and won my way with my beloved team to the United States Tennis Association National Championships. I had spent many years prior, captaining and building teams just to fall short of winning districts each year. Finally winning our season, sectionals, districts, state, and then winning the Midwest championship; we finally did it. This painting isn’t about the feeling of defeat on the court, as that’s always a chance to improve and grow. I didn’t lose in that aspect, because I was nearly undefeated that year and was almost a guaranteed win on doubles. This painting represents the agony, disappointment, disgust, and deceit, I felt when I learned I could not go to play alongside my friends in the championship in Scottsdale Arizona. I had let my team down and missed out on a once in a lifetime accomplishment.

January 14, 2024

This is a striking monochrome painting that captures a moment of fluid elegance, titled simply Aqua. It depicts a wine glass caught in the midst of a dynamic swirl, with the liquid inside defying gravity in a graceful arc that stretches above the rim. The movement is frozen in time, with the liquid’s surface tension creating an almost sculptural form that reaches upwards. The artist has skillfully represented the play of light and shadow, giving the impression of a sparkling, translucent liquid. The glass’s thin stem and stable base contrast with the liquid’s volatility, providing a sense of balance to the composition. The simplicity of the background ensures all attention is focused on the interaction between the glass and its contents, highlighting the delicate beauty of a fleeting moment that would otherwise be missed.

December 17, 2023

The AJ’s Lily drawing is a pencil drawing that captures the delicate beauty of a lily flower in bloom. The flower stands out with its petals gracefully curving outward, showcasing the fine details of its texture and venation, while the stamens reach out from the center, detailed with care to convey their slender form and powdery pollen tips. Below the flower, the stem leads to a pair of leaves that frame the composition, their pointed tips adding to the overall elegance of the sketch. The artist’s use of shading provides depth, highlighting the organic curves and giving the lily a lifelike appearance. The background is left unadorned, ensuring that all attention remains on the intricacies of the flower and its natural allure.