I am an artist, both for fun and professionally, but I don't really fit into any of the standard "artist" stereotypes. That is to say I'm not hip; not even close to it.

I also spend quite a bit of time doing my "day" job which is extremely far removed from my art career. I'll give someone a cookie if they can guess what it is (hint: its sciency and I had to get all kinds of gov't clearances in order to do it.)

I started playing the banjo a few years ago and I'm terrible at it. Why the banjo? Not enough people play the banjo, and they should. That and I have this dream of starting a bluegrass gangster rap cover band. There's something very appealing to me about mixing two genres of music that no one I know likes.

My family is awesome. Maybe more awesome than yours, even. I can think of one or two I've met that could compete.

I joke around a lot, often at inappropriate times. I have been known to spend hours talking to complete strangers about any subject that comes up. I'm extremely sarcastic, and witty, too. These are family traits.

All the coolest things about me are inside, where you can't see them.

I work a crazy job where I travel a lot and work 7 days a week 12 hours a day for about 1/2 the year and I'm off the rest of the year.

I'm early on in the process of working on writing a graphic novel about Theodore Roosevelt.

I spend a lot of the remaining time doing artwork.

During the periods that I'm not making art or working I can be found doing any number of things including, but not limited to, playing trivia, catching local bands, going to museums, reading, going to art openings, practicing my banjo, playing pinball and playing disc golf.

I don't (read: do) want to brag but I'm pretty damn good at art stuff and I have a few "best in show" awards and such to back up the veracity of that statement along with "high profile" art sales to professional athletes, Pulitzer nominated authors, politicians and big-time Hollywood celebrities.

I am, perhaps, the most terrible banjo player in the history of music. So much so that I really shouldn't mention that I play it at all. I mainly tell people about it because I think it makes me sound cool.

If I were to venture a guess, (which I suppose is what I'm supposed to do here) I would say it's probably the smudge of charcoal or the bit o' paint that I somehow managed to
get on my face.

Books: I read a lot so I'm just going to list some of my favorite books that I find myself reading over and over again:

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Fly Fishing the 41st by James Prosek
Blue Blood by Edward Conlon
Wold War Z by Max Brooks
Dean And Me by Jerry Louis
everything that David Sedaris has written
everything that Frank McCourt has written
everything that Malachy McCourt has written (I like his writing better than his brother's)
everything that Chuck Palahniuk has written

obscene amounts of revolution era and early industrial age U.S. history. Particular favorite subjects are vice, crime, social changes and especially anything about Theodore Roosevelt (I truly believe he was/is the most interesting figure in our nation's history)

Movies: I am obsessed with film, both good movies and bad. I fancied myself a film maker for a while, I was in a few festivals and had a nomination for an animation I did in 04 (with a voice over by TJ Miller; who has gone on to some pretty awesome things, you should IMDB him and then be impressed that I know that guy).

Same deal, I'm just going to list some movies that I think everyone should see. They might not necessarily be my favorites, but they are worthwhile all the same:

The Third Man
City of God
Fido
Chinatown
Children of Men
Goodfellas
Casino
Blue Velvet
Black Snake Moan
Dog Day Afternoon
Blues Brothers
Pan's Labrinth
Super Troopers
Shawn of the Dead
Rocky
Deliverance
Choke
(If you have seen all of these I can suggest many more.)

Music:

My all time favorite band would have to be either the Avett Brothers or the Siderunners, but I'm pretty open when it comes to music. From around the age of 13 till I was 24, I didn't really listen to anything except punk rock. Now that I'm older there's not really any genre of music where I haven't been able to find someone that I liked... Possible exceptions would be death metal, modern country, or the pop shit that's usually played on the radio.

Point of Interest: I can play some Dr. Dre on the Banjo.

TV ('cause it should be here):
Dexter
Breaking Bad
Boardwalk Empire
Family Guy
American Dad
Modern Family
Louie

Food: I'm not picky and I like to try new things. I am not, however, very good with spicy. I can handle "mild" but the farther from that you get the less likely I'll be to do more than a taste.

Art Supplies (I'm counting them all as one)

Family and Friends

My banjo (it's an awesome instrument)

A way to get from A to B.

Inspiration and creativity (they go hand in hand)

A computer with internet access. (I suppose I could probably live without this, but I don't think I'd want to.)

Proportion. Texture. Lighting. Color balance. Saturation.

Theodore Roosevelt.

I have also been known to spend far too much time wondering if I've missed something.

Opaque.

My Fridays may/may not involve one or more of the below:

Drawing or painting
Watching movies
Reading a book
Drinking
Planning unrealistic heists in incredible detail
Writing screenplays
Hanging out at a coffee shop somewhere working on freelance stuff or reading
Going to a play, comedy club, burlesque show or concert.
other
possibly working

I was diagnosed with type one juvenile diabetes when I was eleven years old.

If you would like to be my accomplice in any of the aforementioned activities.

You would like to actually meet up in the near future as I'm not a huge fan of passive communication methods, like email, for getting to know people.