About The BM Edit

I didn't plan to become a coastal artist. I planned to move to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for a job, and then the Gulf Coast got into my camera roll, then my sketchbook, and eventually into a whole business I'm still figuring out in public.

I've had a camera for as long as I can remember. Growing up in central Mississippi, that meant cardinals, mockingbirds, and the occasional American robin who held still long enough. I was content with that until I moved to Gulfport two years ago and saw a great blue heron standing in the shallows like it owned the whole coastline. Something shifted. The coastal birds here are different. They are bigger, bolder, endlessly patient with a photographer who keeps coming back. I started painting them when I realized no reference photo would ever be better than the ones I was already taking.

Most paintings start with a photograph. I spend many weekends walking along the gulf with a camera in my hand, looking for a bird to do something interesting. Sometimes the image stands on its own. Most of the time, it becomes the reference for a painting. Sometimes, both end up as a greeting card someone can send to their mom, best friend, or significant other.

I make art for people who feel something when they’re near the water. For the ones who feel peace around coastal wildlife. For anyone who’s ever wished they could take the coast home with them. This is the place for you.

I’m still learning, taking photos, and chasing the light on the water every chance I get. Thanks for being here.