Bio

Hello! My name is Red and I'm a painter and tattooer in upstate, SC.

I grew up on a lake in the woods, where my love of plants, animals, and the land began to take shape. 

I received a BFA in painting and photography from the University of South Carolina in 2009. Back then I was focused on the human figure and was heavily influenced by Caravaggio and Jackson Pollock.

After university, I chased after an art career that failed many times. I traveled, showed my work, installed shows, and even moved to New York thinking that being near art opportunities would help foster an art career. Eventually I moved back to my hometown of Columbia, SC and at this point I felt pretty defeated. But then, I was given the opportunity to pursue a professional tattoo career.

I was a tattooer for 10 years. I lived and worked mostly in Richmond, VA during my tattoo career. I worked tattoo conventions throughout the US as well as New Zealand and Australia. Tattooing pushed my art practice in ways other art forms couldn't. I had to re-learn how to draw and make art so that it would work for a tattoo. Throughout this time my focus shifted from the human figure, toward plants and animals. During this time I also learned that it is not where you live or what shows you participate in that make you an artist. It is the persistence of making work that makes you an artist. 

I knew at some point I wanted to put tattooing down and focus fully on fine art. 2022-2025 was a time of transitioning toward a more fine art focused practice. It required a lot of re-learning again. Learning how to use acrylic paint again, learning new mediums, learning how to loosen up, and learning how to run an art business (it is very different from managing a tattoo career).

Today I work as a multidisciplinary artist. I paint collections of artwork, watercolor illustrations, murals, design products for my online shop, and occasionally offer small batch collections of pottery. I share my work on Instagram and YouTube, and I run a Patreon account and my online shop. 

These days my work is focused on my deep love for the land and chasing joy in the small moments. Permaculture, naturalism, and the delicate but beautiful experience of living on this special planet are all big influences for me. I live on a small hobby farm, and often grow the plants that I paint. When I'm not growing plants or tending to my sheep and geese; I'm studying natural relationships, observing plants on a hike, or taking reference photos of a landscape.

If you'd like to stay connected, you can find me on Patreon, Instagram, and YouTube.

My work is currently available for purchase at Sagrada in Tryon, NC, Atomic Furnishing in Asheville, NC, and Rustic2Refined in Greenville, SC.

@reddumonde across all platforms

Thank you for stopping by!

cheers <3

-Red