There are times when the art chooses the artist. As an artist and designer I am on a continual quest to explore my creativity. Recently an idea came to me while glancing through my collection of vintage mid-20th century magazines. dating back to the 1930s and 1940s.

This was a time before Television and the Internet, when advertisers had to depend on print ads to sell their products. In order to grab the attention of the readers many of the ads had to stand out and in some cases be outrageous.

Fascinated by the period imagery and wording of the advertising copy I felt an emotional reaction to what I was seeing. The words and images jumped up at me and began to form into a new body of work. That is when I began my series of collages using vintage advertising images and phrases on abstract oil paintings.

Surprisingly, many of these images and messages I use depict feelings and emotions that resonate in today’s political climate.

I mix and match images with copy to make a statement or create a scenario. After selecting the image, I then finish the piece with a colorful background painting in oils using colors inspired by the vintage ad.

My goal is to create affordable art that has an appealing visual effect, a funny message and nostalgic appeal.