The Jobs of Yesteryear series combines history and surrealism to tell the stories of obsolete jobs. A contemporary glimpse into the past, these mixed media paintings serve as a reminder of times and stories long forgotten.

Each painting is created using only three colors of acrylic paint, which give the work a monochromatic theme of warm greys and creams. Overall, they have the feel of a tattered black and white photograph steeped in history. The long-limbed characters and their tools are crafted using hundreds of hand-torn bits of kraft paper collaged on top of watercolor paper and painted with an acrylic wash. This unique process brings the character to life and makes the forgotten job the focal point of each painting. The technology or innovation which ultimately led to the job becoming obsolete is included in each painting. See an illustrated guide to my process here.

The Jobs of Yesteryear are thought-provoking conversation pieces that will bring an air of history and whimsy to any room.