This pencil drawing, which I improvised over a 4-month period at the age of 17, has special meaning to me. I've always been attracted to complex and elaborate artwork - the kind that can be looked at forever, with the viewer always discovering something new - and wanted to create one myself.

'Black Water' was my first serious attempt at creating professional artwork.  I incorporated numerous images and tropes into this piece that reflected certain scenarios and thought processes affecting me at the time. By the time I had completed it, I knew that I had created a style that was unique—and that I wanted to become a full-time artist.