April 12, 2022 • Early Major Work
Introduction
"Morgan" is the piece that started everything.
Created in April 2022 during the early months of sobriety, it was born from the collision of vulnerability and determination. With shaky, tremoring hands, I turned physical unsteadiness into a deliberate way of working.
What began as a necessity quickly became my signature language: dense, vibrating linework built through energy and repetition rather than traditional shading.
This piece established the foundation of my practice.
It showed me that imperfection could be transformed into strength, and that raw, unfiltered mark-making could carry emotional truth.
The quote below captures the spirit of what this work came to represent for me:
"Wise is the one who flavors the future with some salt from the past. Becoming dust is no threat to the phoenix born from the ash." — Curtis Tyrone Jones
"Morgan" remains the origin point from which all my later explorations of identity, resilience, and transformation have grown.
Reflection
Looking back, I see Morgan differently than I did when I made it. At the time, it felt like survival. I was trying to create something despite hands that would not stay still, with a mind that was fragmented, while living a life that felt completely unfamiliar.
What I did not realize then was that this piece was not just about making art through difficulty. It was about learning to trust myself again. The shaky lines, the raw energy, the refusal to hide the process, all of it became proof that I could build something meaningful from where I actually was, not from where I wished I would have been.
This piece taught me that imperfection can be powerful. That vulnerability can be strength. And that authenticity is the key to unlocking your true potential.
Everything I have created since has grown from this piece. It remains the clearest record of where I began.
Pre-studio days - a true beginning.
A true 1/1 - Signed and sent off to a single contest winner - Thank you for your support Jon!
Morgan -The original 3 layer piece built with a purple and pink base layers and a green highlight layer to give it depth.
![Morgan #2 - Pink and green layers only. [My personal favorite]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62defd2924d56e35aeddab29/08378d0d-981e-44e8-9f59-107bdf4bffea/WebsiteElements-Morgan-2022-2.png)
Morgan #2 - Pink and green layers only. [My personal favorite]
Morgan #3 with purple and green layers only.
oh hey
it me
Work Details
Created: April 12, 2022
Collection: Individual Work
Category: EarlyMajor Work
Medium: Digital Illustration • Autodesk Sketchbook • Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ Tablet & Stylus
Dimensions: 5888x7680 pixels
Techniques: High-density vibrating linework • Energetic mark-making • Color contrast
Primary Themes: Sobriety • personal transformation • rebirth • creative agency
Primary Motif: Female figure
Related Works: Sly Fox, Starfox, Connection, Digital Bath, The Void
This piece is one chapter in a much larger story.
Discover what came before, what followed, and how this work fits into the evolution of my artistic practice.
Continue the Journey
← Previous Chapter: The Void
→ Next Chapter: Slyfox
See the Bigger Picture
→ View Magnum Opus