The life of VITAE

In 2016 fate showed its hand and revealed I would be relocating my life and studio to Çanakkale (Ancient Troy) .

After establishing a make shift studio, then renting a studio in the city center, I was able to finish a few ideas for works I had planned before my trip to this country. Also, was fortunate enough to have a few commissions I also got to work on and finish here. Soon after these projects were finished I slowly started to find my ship drifting into the dark waters of the sea of life. Ideas became scarce - and the intimidation and stress of such a big move began to take hold.

At this time I began spending a lot of time in the local tea houses, trying my best to soak up and adapt the best I could into this culture, drinking tea, talking with new friends, learning the language and of course playing Tavla ( Backgammon ). I decided since all other ideas were scarce and that a slight artist block seemed to be plaguing me, to begin sketching various scenes of people I encountered while around town.

These inevitably became The VITAE Collection.

I wanted to find the people and situations that stood out the most to me culturally. Tea houses are a very important staple in turkish life, so what better place to do this than there.

This series also ended a sort of era of painting and ideas for me. After this body of work, I decided to spend my time learning everything I could of my new home and adapting my life the best I could.

After a year of this I was finally able to begin my new chapter in the studio - and I feel the work now is stronger than it has ever been.

I am considering doing another collection focused on turkish life. One possibility is spending time in my wife's families country village and take sketches of local people and the animals, perhaps even the landscape there.

It would certainly be a different addition to my portfolio of work, but I think it would be amazing.

Stay connected to see where this idea leads!

~m

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