“I have to admit that I am an artist that wanted to be everything else.
Acrylic is my favorite medium. I try all kinds of media, but you can do so much with acrylic. You can paint over just about any surface with it! But I also enjoy sculpture using found objects such as wood and metal.
I have many pieces and projects that I’m proud of, but there is one that stands out for me. I have the drawing of that design on a napkin I made one morning as I was drinking a latte at The Electric Brew. That piece sits in my backyard: “The Bamboo Forest,” circa 2013-2015.
High school was a pivotal time for me as an artist. I was always the first to ask to help with any kind of painting or drawing project. Then, after high school, people began paying me for my work, but I often ended up doing it for free.
This is my third storm drain project. Growing up in Laos, we always believed there was something mystical that lived either in the forest or river that protected the village and people in it. In this particular design, a big fish was holding up an island that allowed it to grow. I try to make my work bright and colorful, often very comical. This is also the second project I did with my son, which, for me, is way too cool.
Growing up – kindergarten through elementary school – we’re all artists. We all love to draw and paint. But at some point in our life, we just stop doing that for no particular reason. But for me? I just feel this is the best way to express yourself: with color, shape, and texture. I have had many people come up to me to tell me how much they enjoy my work, that it makes them smile, and they had no idea that I am an artist.
There are so many artists here in Goshen, and the city itself promotes art!
My creativity is now focused on my backyard right now, trying to incorporate found objects into an art form. I’m not working on anything in particular, but there are many projects I am working on, and they all depend on my mood.”
