Personal Projects & Art Series

Note: This page might not be interesting to many. However, the following works are good examples of my art, even if you don't read the text.

The personal project I spend my free time on is called "Labs," which is a thematic, narrative-driven writing project that explores the themes of idolization and self-image through speculative fantasy fiction. It has a focus on grounded, realistic fantasy, slow emotional buildup, and the juxtaposition of nature and technology. The system is based on shapeshifting.

This universe, and the animation and art  pieces that accompany it, are my most proud accomplishments. The development and art around these planned novels are constantly growing and changing with me as I get older. 

I have done/am currently working on several "art series" about elements of this story, some of which were done for the purpose of animation.

Wildlife Photography & the Speculitive Biology of Dragons

My whole life, I've had one special interest that prevailed over everything I did: dragons. As a kid, I would consume every movie, book, or TV show I could get my hands on that involved dragons. As a grew older, this inexplicable fixation became for focused, and now the thing I'm most interested in regarding them is the idea of dragons and other fantastical elements interacting with the modern world, being treated as normal the same way any other animal is today. 

When I was bored as kid, I would fantasize by imagining dragons living in the nature around wherever I was. Now, I'm taking a closer look at these ideas, really exploring how a society with these elements would operate and change. 

For this, I really wanted to use the principles of wildlife photography and paleoart, representing my version of the dragon as not fantastical creatures, but as animals in a real world. In addition, I've always loved the idea of dragon riding, and as an equestrian myself, I've always wanted to see a more detailed representation of it inspired by horse riding.

I referenced the anatomy of real animals, and even created my own phylum classification just for dragons in the Labs universe. This is my most extensive and ongoing art series, and I am always updating the anatomy and biology of my dragons. 

Official Characters for "Labs"

While this isn't necessarily an art series, it is the collection most near and dear to my heart. My characters are the core of my work and of the story I'm writing. Many of them were first made up as early as elementary school, and some have evolved so greatly that they are completely different from their first edition. 

One of the most fun parts of storytelling is discovering the true core of what each of them values, and how that influences their place and actions in the plot.

I could spend pages and pages explaining each one, but to sum it up: the main characters in my trilogy are teenagers who, for many different reasons, become interns at "the Wisconsin State Lab of Cryptozoology." Here, they will help study supernatural phenomena in their world, and begin to get deeper and deeper into an organization that many describe as a government cult.

My main character, Reno Atwater, is a young Werewolf who is caught unregistered and forced to join the interns at the Lab as a form of supervision. At first, he is reluctant, but when he becomes attached to the executive director (Alyssa Hayes, who is also a Werewolf), he discovers that she is on a mission to develop a cure for Lycanthropy. 

Throughout the story, Reno must confront his sense of self in order to decide if he's going to give in and accept the cure, or if he will accept his true self... Even as he and the other interns fall deeper into cult-like devotion to their leader.