One day, she burst out laughing about the idea of a tiger in a business suit—and that bizarre, funny image kept resurfacing in our conversations. We built whole scenarios around it and eventually said, “We should draw this!” That was the spark.

Becoming an artist was not something I envisioned. It crept up on me as impressions other people had about me. Art was just something I did, which friends and family encouraged me to share. When I began to be accepted into art shows and sell my work, I gained more confidence to transition from being artistic to artist. My first one- woman show at a respected art gallery sealed my sense that what I was doing was appreciated by others.

Using a combination of geometric shapes, intense color, and realism, AJ creates new work in his own unique voice. “I first come up with an idea then I put it in the oven (my mind) then I let it cook,” he explains.