Swingler Art Studio

Born in Los Angeles and based in Houston, I am an oil painter working mostly in a surrealist style. My training includes an undergraduate degree from the Academy of Art University, over a decade as an expatriate artist in Colombia, work as an animator for a Disney film, and years of experience as a graphic designer. I am rational, but naturally question convention and am predisposed to layered and complex thought; generally feeling that there is something more to existence, just beyond my understanding. As a result, my work is firmly rooted in realistic figures, objects, and landscapes that have detoured into complicated abstractions. I use classical oil painting techniques on canvas or panel and usually pull ideas from sketchbook wanderings and academic re-workings. I do not always begin with a specific plan, so my processes vary. Live models and photographic references are employed when realism is important. My brushwork tends to be refined and premeditated, even when trying to work loose and spontaneously. An artwork is finished when I say so and will usually not be considered as "completed" until it has been varnished and framed. Ultimately, I want my artworks to command respect for their level of skill, spark conversations due to their content and composition, and be worthy of remembrance by remaining visible in public collections where they may appreciate in value.