I create art that evokes nostalgia, makes people feel like kids again, and adds a splash of color to the world.
When I was a kid I carried a sketchpad everywhere I went along with my pencils, markers, paints, etc. And my favorite thing to draw? Cartoons, of course. I loved it so much, in fact, that I dreamed of being a cartoonist who worked for Disney or Warner Bros. or Hannah Barbara - Bugs Bunny, Donald Duck, The Flinstones, Popeye … they all brought me so much joy.
Ah, dreams - right?
And then when I was in Junior High our art teacher taught us about Pop Art with all the vibrant shapes and colors and I had this idea to merge Pop Art with my favorite cartoons so that they were splashed with color.
But then?
An important person in my life (who was also an artist!) told me that my art wasn’t good enough to pursue professionally - “you have to be realistic about your dreams and remember you need to grow up and make a living, make money, contribute to society.”
Sigh.
And so I put my sketchpad away. I know that might sound dramatic, but it’s true. I put everything away and for the next 30+ years I never sat down with a sketchpad again.
Back in Decmeber 2023, however, I began doing some inner work and began to reconnect with my “inner child”, the younger part of myself that (for various reasons) I sent into exile in an effort to be more mature, more accepted, more appreciated … more of what I thought I was supposed to be, what I thought everyone expected me to be.
For me, part of that reconnection involved getting out my sketchpad and so for Christmas that year my wife, daughter, and mom bought me all sorts of art supplies and I began painting and painting and painting.
Cartoons!
Color!
More color!
And then after a while I started sharing some of my creations online and (to my surprise!) someone reached out and asked to purchase one … and that led to some more purchases and even commission requests!
That said - thanks for dropping by and checking out my art. If you see something you like, it's yours. If you have a request for a character you don't see, feel free to email me at whatifproject.net [!at] gmail.com.
Much love.
- Glenn