12”×16” - Oil on canvas

From a series of animal skull paintings a few years back.

With these paintings, I wanted to explore the tension between nature's enduring legacy and humanity's often destructive impact. The idea of graffiti in unexpected places came to me when I visited Italy as a young man and saw beautiful statues covered in rough tagging. It struck me how something so timeless could be so carelessly desecrated and I began to use it as a critique on modern society's tendency to overlook or defile what is sacred, whether it's nature or historical treasures. The graffiti is faded to hint at impermanence and decay, suggesting that even our acts of destruction are temporary. I hope viewers will reflect on the fragile balance between creation and destruction, beauty and vandalism, and consider the scars we leave on the world.