The Hudson
319 Fayetteville St, Raleigh, NC 27601
60x48 in
Acrylic on canvas
2023
This painting of Bob Marley is about more than music—it’s about perspective. Behind him, the brushstrokes are wild and chaotic, representing noise, pressure, and negativity. But he’s turned away from all of it, looking forward with peace and presence. In front of him, the space is calm and open. And right in front of his eyes, I painted the word love. It’s a reminder that even when the world feels loud and heavy, you can choose what you focus on. That choice—that strength—is what Earth Strong is about.
48x48
Acrylic on Canvas
This is a study in presence. A young Whoopi Goldberg, fully herself—calm, confident, and thinking deeply. A reminder that true confidence begins with consciousness.
65×40 in
Acrylic on Canvas
This is my niece, Zaidee—and what you see here is exactly who she is. Pure joy. Boundless energy. The kind of presence that lights up a room without even trying.
I painted this moment from a photo taken in my mother’s backyard. Bubbles floating through summer air, colors bouncing off her shirt, sunlight catching the edges of a childhood memory. To me, this piece is more than family—it’s a reminder. A reminder to have fun. To laugh loud. To reach out for something light, even when the world feels heavy.
Acrylic on Canvas
24 x 36 inches
Painted in the pulse of Los Angeles, this piece is a tribute to sound in motion. The trumpet—rendered in explosive color—feels like it’s mid-note, bursting through layered textures of purples, reds, and golds. Each stroke moves like music: urgent, bold, and full of improvisation.
The hands gripping the horn are steady, almost reverent, holding space for something greater than the instrument itself. Musical symbols swirl in the background like echoes from a smoky club in the heart of the city.
48×24
Acrylic on canvas
This portrait of Marvin Gaye radiates rhythm, spirit, and undeniable presence. Set against a bold crimson backdrop, every brushstroke honors his legacy—not just as a singer, but as a vessel of emotion and truth. His gaze is soft, almost meditative, like he’s hearing a melody only the soul can catch.
The jacket, alive with color and pattern, mirrors the complexity of his music—vibrant, layered, and often aching beneath the surface. This isn’t just a painting of Marvin—it’s a feeling, a frequency, a reminder of the voice that once asked us all: What’s Going On?
Acrylic & Latex on Canvas
48 x 36 in
Part of the paint slinging series, this piece captures the wild intelligence of water—how it crashes, collects, and carries everything it’s touched. Swirls of navy, turquoise, and frost white collide in layered motion, like the tide stirring up secrets it was never meant to hold.
Paint was thrown, not placed—letting gravity, instinct, and flow dictate the final composition. It’s chaos with a memory. A flood of feeling. A wave that doesn’t just hit—it remembers.
This is what happens when nature speaks in color.
40×30in
Spray paint, acrylic, and oil on canvas
2019
This painting was born out of a moment of inspiration. After watching Malcolm X, I felt charged—like his energy had reached through the screen and called me to move with more purpose. His resilience, discipline, and refusal to be silenced reminded me what conviction really looks like. I poured that intensity into this portrait.
The title By Any Means Necessary isn’t just a quote—it’s a mindset. It’s about doing whatever it takes to protect your peace, speak your truth, and push forward, even when the odds are stacked against you. That line carries a weight that still applies today. It demands self-respect, courage, and unwavering belief in your mission.
I used oil paint for its depth and texture—layering the strokes to reflect the complexity of a man who was constantly evolving. Strong, sharp, and clear-eyed, Malcolm’s presence in this piece is meant to stop you, challenge you, and remind you to stand firm in what you believe.
Acrylic and Gold Foil on Canvas
2021
4 ft x 5 ft
This piece is a tribute to rhythm and memory. I played cello for seven years growing up, and that time in the orchestra shaped how I hear the world. It gave me an ear for layers—how harmony and tension live side by side. The stand-up bass felt like a natural evolution of that love. I painted it like it was being played in real time—fluid, alive, full of soul. The strings are laid in gold foil to reflect how sacred sound can feel when it’s deep in your chest.
40×30 in
Acrylic on canvas
This piece is a tribute to Kyrie Irving—one of the most fearless and original athletes of our time. I’ve always admired how Kyrie moves. He’s a free thinker. He stands on what he believes in, no matter what the world says. As someone who loves playing basketball, this painting is personal. Kyrie reminds me to stay true to myself, to move with purpose, and to carve out my own lane. That spirit lives in this portrait.
Acrylic on Canvas
103 x 34 in
This painting was born under open skies—created on a farm in Fuquay-Varina, where the quiet rhythm of nature gave space for something bold to emerge. “Wingspan” captures a butterfly mid-flight, its form stretched across nearly nine feet of canvas like a banner for transformation. The colors are unapologetically vibrant, exploding across the wings in unapologetic celebration.
The butterfly, often seen as fragile or fleeting, becomes monumental here. It reminds us that growth isn’t quiet—it’s loud, it’s wild, it’s full of color. Each pattern on the wing speaks to joy, resilience, and the beauty of evolving in full view.
This piece is both a tribute and a portal—to the land it was painted on, to the spirit of change, and to the endless motion of becoming something more.
48×30
Acrylic on canvas
Basquiat is a tribute to a creative force who broke rules and built his own language. His work was loud, layered, and honest—just like this piece. Fun fact: Before his rise to fame, he signed his early graffiti as “SAMO,” short for “same old shit,” leaving poetic phrases around New York that sparked an entire art movement.
30x40
Oil on Canvas
Open hands rest above worn pages, lit with colors that speak of change and renewal. It’s a moment suspended between who I was and who I’ve become—an offering, a surrender, a quiet rebirth.
40 x 30 in.
Acrylic on Canvas
I came across the photo that inspired this piece and was instantly drawn to it. I don’t usually paint imagery that feels connected to death or darkness, but this didn’t carry that kind of weight. There was something tender about it—two skeletons holding one another, stripped of everything but connection.
The entire piece is painted in green. That decision was intuitive, not planned, and it gave the work an unexpected energy—more about presence than absence. This painting challenges what we associate with loss and instead invites a conversation about closeness, timelessness, and the bond that remains when everything else is gone.
48 x 48 inches
Acrylic on canvas
From the Paint Slinging Series
This painting feels like joy—pure and unfiltered. I named it after the Stevie Wonder song that instantly lifts my spirit every time it plays. His music is the soundtrack to many of my creative sessions, and this piece is what it looks like when gratitude and rhythm flow through the brush.
The shadows of the trees stretch gently across the canvas like an early morning embrace, reminding us that light always returns. The splattered colors aren’t chaotic—they’re alive, dancing to a song only the heart can hear. This piece is for anyone who’s ever found peace in the middle of noise, and warmth in unexpected places.
48 x 48 in.
Acrylic on Canvas
Painted 2023
This work came from a period I call my paint slinging era. I wasn’t brushing—I was throwing. Pouring. Slinging paint until it felt right. Each piece is layered with over 30 different paints, building heavy textures and raw movement. Some sections are so thick with paint they almost sculpt themselves—evidence of how physical the process was.
Bayou Brass was painted live at Moore Square Park in downtown Raleigh during Jazz in the Park, but it’s rooted in New Orleans. That city’s music, color, and chaos were in my head the whole time. The painting moves like a brass band—wild, loud, full of rhythm and life. It’s jazz you can see.
This was not just painted—it was performed.
48 x 48 in.
Acrylic & Resin on Canvas
Painted 2024
This piece is all about energy and attitude. Sammy Davis Jr. had a charisma that you could feel without a word—cool, confident, playful, and sharp. I used bold color choices to match that presence and added resin to the sunglasses to give them some shine and dimension. It’s a tribute to style, legacy, and that effortless swagger that never goes out of style.
40x40 inches
Oil on Canvas
This portrait of Miles Davis captures the exact moment sound becomes spirit. Painted in oil with intentional restraint—letting the raw texture of the canvas breathe—it mirrors the essence of cool jazz: spacious, unpredictable, alive. The horn fades into abstraction as if the music itself is taking shape before your eyes. Davis isn’t just playing; he’s conversing with silence.
60×48 in
Oil on canvas
This painting of Jean-Michel Basquiat is an ode to brilliance under pressure. His eyes are sharp, his hands folded like shields, and the strokes of color across his skin feel like scars of expression—raw, deliberate, unstoppable. The green backdrop hums like static, as if the air around him is alive with unspoken ideas.
At just 6 years old, Basquiat was struck by a car and hospitalized with a broken arm and internal injuries. While recovering, his mother gifted him a copy of Gray’s Anatomy. That book would go on to shape his visual language—his obsession with the human body, skeletons, and the relationship between life and decay.
5ft x 7ft
2025
Acrylic & Latex on Canvas
Commissioned by Hennessy to honor the pulse of entrepreneurship in Raleigh, this piece began as a tribute to the city’s bold dreamers and builders—but it quickly revealed itself to be something far more personal.
Unknowingly, I was painting my father’s story.
On February 26, 2025, my father suffered a heart attack that would change everything. Weeks spent between Wake Med and Duke Hospital led to the decision for a heart transplant. As I painted this, he was fighting for his life—yet the symbolism in this piece poured out of me before I even realized why.
This isn’t just Raleigh’s heartbeat. It’s his.
My father has always been a quiet pillar in his community, the kind of man who shows up—without needing recognition. He has given everything he could to support his family, his neighborhood. This painting is his harvest. A visual manifestation of the love and legacy he’s sown over a lifetime.
The Heartbeat of Raleigh is both a city’s rhythm and a father’s heartbeat—fragile, powerful, and deeply felt.
36x48 in
Acrylic, Latex & Metallic on Canvas
2025
This is a portrait of my Oscar—an aggressive, bold fish with a real personality. He lived in the very tank this painting now hangs above, and he ruled it like a king. I’ve loved fish since I was a kid. My grandmother had two Oscars in her living room tank growing up, and I’ve been fascinated ever since. This piece is full of color, memory, and movement—just like he was.
48x72 in
Acrylic on Canvas
This portrait of Nina Simone radiates the force of a woman who sang not for applause, but for liberation. Her gaze is lifted—fixed on something beyond the frame, beyond the moment. The grayscale backdrop, textured and heavy, echoes the weight of the world she challenged. Against it, her skin burns with color—layered in violets, teals, crimsons—every tone a testament to complexity and brilliance.
Simone wasn’t just an artist; she was a revolutionary in rhythm. Trained as a classical pianist, she once dreamed of playing Carnegie Hall. When denied access because of her race, she turned her music into resistance. Her voice became a weapon, her piano a pulpit.
48 x 30 in.
Acrylic on Canvas
April 2025
These two pieces are both inspired by the energy of Erykah Badu—powerful, spiritual, and unapologetically herself. I wasn’t trying to paint her in the literal sense. I wanted to channel what she represents: freedom, femininity, and soul. One piece speaks through her gaze—fierce and grounded. The other shows her in full expression, layered with color, texture, and ancestral rhythm. Together, they capture two sides of the same spirit. Painting these reminded me to trust intuition and let the brush move without overthinking.
36 x 48 in.
Acrylic & Gold Paint on Canvas
2025
This is my take on Scarface—one of my all-time favorite films. I grew up watching Tony Montana’s rise, fall, and everything in between. There’s something about this moment in the movie that always stuck with me—raw, defiant, and unfiltered. I used gold acrylics to bring out that over-the-top energy, the wealth, the chaos, and the ambition. It’s loud. It’s bold. Just like the character. Just like the legacy.
36 x 36 in.
Oil on Wood Panel
2025
This portrait of J. Cole is a tribute to presence—the kind that doesn’t need a This portrait of J. Cole is a tribute to presence—the kind that doesn’t need a spotlight to be felt. As a North Carolina native, his story always hit close to home. I chose oil on raw wood to keep it grounded and real, letting the grain come through like history beneath the surface.
The mood is quiet but strong. Like someone who’s done the inner work and walks with purpose. This piece honors that balance—between humility and power, roots and vision. It’s about legacy. About staying true to where you come from while becoming who you’re meant to be. spotlight to be felt.