Arbitrary Aesthetics invites readers into a world where softness meets strength. Through the unexpected marriage of fluid watercolor washes and the gritty texture of chalk pastels, we create works that echo the drama of charcoal yet pulse with vibrant life.

This richly illustrated book is both a visual journey and a creative manifesto. Each picture unveils a new layer of the process— how translucent pigments seep into paper like a bleeding breadth of rain drops, while pastel strokes carve out bold, recherché forms. The result is art that feels alive, landscapes that hum with atmosphere, and abstracts that command attention from across the room.

A 2005 graduate of UB architecture and again in 2024 from SUNY JCC I’ve learned the processes behind composition. The language of juxtaposition of various media has been unique. This experiment with watercolors and chalk pastels has been evocative. Never really considered myself as an artist, and rebuking art as a teenager I was always a logical person. Though, logic has turned into non-objective opinions and abstract imagery. Experience with blueprints and autocad helped me articulate the fascination of space.