These paintings are installed at the Southeast Community Center in Kansas City, MO, next to the swimming pool area. To ensure durability in humid conditions, I constructed each panel using MDO (Medium Density Overlay) board and treated lumber. Once assembled, each panel requires at least three people to lift and securely position it. After installation, I apply a blue base coat, sketch a detailed doodle grid, and begin the painting process. Upon completion, I varnish each piece thoroughly—front, back, and sides—to provide extra protection and longevity.

Each painting in this series features someone I've met in Kansas City. I take all reference photos myself—I start with a specific idea, then find just the right person to bring it to life. The setting is equally important; depending on the needs of the composition, I either select a real location that complements the subject or invent a background from my imagination.

Every piece begins with a blue base layer and a "doodle grid"—a loose sketch that's subtle enough not to overpower the colors, yet clear enough to guide my composition. After photographing both the subject and the prepped canvas, I digitally layer the figure onto the background, using transparency to ensure accurate proportions while leaving room for my artistic style.

I blend spray paint and acrylic, combining their unique properties to create depth, texture, and movement in each painting.

Joy

Joy captures a simple but powerful moment—two young girls, lost in laughter and play, sharing a connection as natural as the water surrounding them. One of them is my daughter, the other, a friend she met at the park. In that moment, they were strangers no longer, just two kids letting the water carry them into joy.

Water, like childhood, is free, playful, and full of life. It has the power to bring people together, to wash away fear, and to remind us of a time when happiness was as easy as feeling the cool rush of a wave. Just as these girls embrace the moment, water embraces us—it gives without question, asking only that we respect it in return.

But joy, like water, is something we must protect. The hidden heart in this painting beats with that message: water is life, and without it, the laughter fades, the play stops, and the connections we take for granted slip away. This piece is a reminder to cherish both—to hold on to the innocence, the wonder, and the simple beauty of water while we still can.

Memory

Water has been here since the beginning. It has witnessed everything—every triumph, every tragedy, every story untold. Memory is about the way water carries the past, how it holds the weight of history, and how, even in its silence, it speaks.

Before creating this painting, I stood at the edge of the ocean, letting the waves wrap around my legs, and I thought of my ancestors—the ones who were thrown overboard, left to the mercy of the sea. They were stolen from their land, stripped of their names, their families, their futures, and yet, they are not gone. I haven’t forgotten them. None of us have. They are still here, moving through us like the tides, lifting us up when the weight of the world tries to pull us under.

This painting is my offering to them, my way of saying: I see you. I remember you. I honor you. Their suffering, their resilience, their spirit—it propels me forward, pushing my family toward something greater. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. Without them, I wouldn’t be blessed.

The hidden heart in this piece beats for them, for the ancestors who watch over us, for the ones the water remembers.

Libations

Water is a bridge between worlds. It carries memory, it moves energy, and it connects us to those who walked before us. Libations is about that sacred act—pouring water or liquid onto the earth as an offering to the ancestors. It’s a way of showing gratitude, of acknowledging their presence, of saying, we have not forgotten you.

In this painting, water flows from the cup to the soil, a visual representation of that ritual. It’s more than just a gesture—it’s a conversation with the unseen, a reminder that the spirits of our ancestors still move with us. When we pour, they receive. When we speak their names, they hear.

This act is not just about honoring the past—it’s about recognizing the living world around us. The water we give back feeds the earth, nourishes life, and reminds us that everything is connected. The hidden heart in this piece beats with that understanding: when we give to the earth, we give to the spirits, and in turn, they continue to bless and guide us forward.

Force

Water is one of the most powerful forces on earth, and so are we. It moves, shifts, and adapts, carving through even the hardest stone over time. Force is about embodying that same energy—staying strong through whatever society throws our way, flowing past obstacles while never losing sight of the goal.

The swimmer pushes forward, cutting through waves, his body in sync with the water’s power. In his goggles, you see home—a reminder of why he moves, why he fights, why he endures. Water is both gentle and unyielding, and in becoming like it, we find the strength to reach what’s ours.

The hidden heart in this painting beats with that message: no matter how far we have to swim, no matter how deep the struggle, we carry the power of water within us. We are the force.