I created a new piece for the 408 Day Art Show as part of San José Day 2026, opening at Noble Gallery in downtown San José. The exhibition brings together more than 100 artists responding to the theme “You Are the Theme,” each working within a shared 10 x 10 inch format.
This piece, Take Notes measures 10 x 10 inches. Built from reused materials, I constructed the work from scratch, including a custom wooden frame. The size constraint became part of the process — working within a fixed format while still finding ways to build depth, layering, and structure.
The entire background of the piece is made from paper plate paint palettes I used during my early days of acrylic painting in the early 2000s. I saved many of them over the years. They were part of countless paintings — holding color, mixing decisions, and the physical record of that time. In this piece, they form the foundation. You can see them throughout the surface — layers of dried paint, textures, and an accumulation of color that reads almost like an explosion behind everything built on top.
The piece itself spells out NOTES, with each letter constructed through a different material approach.
The N is formed from a microcassette encased in an epoxy block. I spray painted the negative space of the letter into the block so the form reveals itself through subtraction, and attached a clear cassette tape to the base, grounding the form with another layer of analog reference.
The O is built from approximately twenty 2-inch discs, stacked and staggered to create a circular-ish structure. Each disc is spray painted a different color, with a plastic dome-like lens on top. Beneath the dome, an iridescent layer of cellophane shifts color with the light, adding a subtle movement and energy to the form.
The T is constructed as a wooden shell, filled with many small wooden blocks. The outer & inner structure is spray painted, while the interior blocks remain mostly raw, creating contrast between the defined edge and the accumulated interior.
The E is formed through a combination of structure and negative space. A single painted square block anchors the form, while smaller wooden blocks are stacked on top to collectively define the letter. The painted block creates a visual break that allows the smaller elements to resolve into the “E” shape.
The S is built from two wooden blocks glued together, then carved out to form the letter. I shaped it to feel more organic and alive, then applied layers of acrylic paint. A small wooden fly agaric mushroom is embedded into the form, adding a subtle narrative element within the letter.
From the palette background, I built upward — stacking, carving, embedding, and layering materials into a compact structure. Each element carries its own history, and together they form a composition that moves between memory, material, and form.
I also experimented with new techniques in this piece, including carving directly into wood using a Dremel tool. That process introduced a more physical, subtractive way of working, shifting how I approached surface and composition.
The show opens April 8 and runs through May 8. Looking forward to seeing all the work come together in the space.
See more pictures here. Also located in Sculptural Work section of Portfolio.