SEEING PAST THE SIDEWALK.
We are experts at the averted gaze. We see the corner and the situation, but we rarely see the person. The Third Mercy Project is an exercise in recognition.
I document our neighbors experiencing homelessness across Bradenton, Sarasota, and Anna Maria Island through charcoal and chalk. Every subject is paid for their time, and 50% of all proceeds support local housing outreach.
These are not just symbols of a crisis. They are the faces of our community.
EDITIONS
He earned the name on a winter day when the Florida sand finally won. His boots had become heavy and useless, filled with the coast, so he ditched them entirely. A friend stepped in with the only "shoes" available—plastic bags tied around his feet to keep the cold out.
When I met him, we connected over a shared language; his father had been an artist, and there was a genuine spark of excitement in him at the idea of being the subject of a portrait. This piece is about that contrast: the struggle of the plastic-bag shoes against the pride of a man who understands the value of an image. Captured in charcoal and chalk, focusing on the authenticity of a life lived without the extra gear.
Medium: Giclee print from an original charcoal and white chalk drawing on toned paper.
Paper Quality: Professional Hot Press Bright 310 gsm textured matte paper.
Dimensions: 16x20 inch total sheet size (featuring the 12x16 inch artwork with a 2-inch border).
Shipping calculated at checkout.
My work is dedicated to the quiet dignity of lives lived on the margins—those often overlooked by the rushing world. To humanize the marginalized, I believe you must first bear witness yourself, immersing in their stillness and absorbing their stories.
In rendering my own likeness, I am placing the artist alongside the subject. This piece explores the empathy required to see past the surface and the introspection that fuels the desire to bring forgotten narratives into the light. It is a reminder that we are all defined by who we choose to see, and how deeply we choose to look.
Medium: Giclee print from an original charcoal and white chalk drawing on toned paper.
Paper Quality: Professional Hot Press Bright 310 gsm textured matte paper.
Dimensions: 16x20 inch total sheet size (featuring the 12x16 inch artwork with a 2-inch border).
Shipping calculated at checkout.
He earned the name "The Witness" not because he sought the spotlight, but because he spent his days anchored in the places everyone else was rushing past. In a world defined by movement and noise, he chose to remain still, observing the tide of the city from the sidelines.
There is a weight in his eyes—not of despair, but of deep, quiet knowledge. When I sat down to draw him, he held this pose naturally, his hand coming to rest beneath his chin as if he were holding onto a story he had no intention of telling. His gaze is that of a man who has seen the architecture of the street change while he remained the constant variable. This piece is about that profound, silent dignity; it is a testament to the life that exists in the margins, and the power of simply being present when the rest of the world is looking away.
Medium: Giclee print from an original charcoal and white chalk drawing on toned paper.
Paper Quality: Professional Hot Press Bright 310 gsm textured matte paper.
Dimensions: 16x20 inch total sheet size (featuring the 12x16 inch artwork with a 2-inch border).
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Some faces carry the landscape of a lifetime, etched into every furrow and shadow. "The Watchman" began as an editorial study, but as I worked, he became something more—an archetype of resilience. He does not look out at the world so much as he keeps a steady, unwavering vigil over it. There is a profound clarity in those eyes, the kind that only comes after decades of observing both the storm and the calm.
Medium: Giclee print from an original charcoal and white chalk drawing on toned paper.
Paper Quality: Professional Hot Press Bright 310 gsm textured matte paper.
Dimensions: 16x20 inch total sheet size (featuring the 12x16 inch artwork with a 2-inch border).
Shipping calculated at checkout.
THE WORK OF RECOGNITION.
The Third Mercy Project is rooted in the parable of the Good Samaritan—a story about three men who encountered a neighbor in crisis. Two chose the "averted gaze." The third chose to stop.
From the streets of Bradenton and Sarasota to the shores of Anna Maria Island, we often find ourselves in that same rhythm: seeing the situation on the corner, but failing to see the person. I document our neighbors experiencing homelessness through charcoal and chalk to ensure they are seen, not just walked past.
THE CASE FOR THE HUMAN HAND.
In an era of infinite, synthetic imagery, the Third Mercy Project is a deliberate pivot toward the tactile. This work is a professional commitment to the act of observation over the ease of automation. Through charcoal and contemporary realism, I record the people of Bradenton, Sarasota, and the Island communities—capturing those often overlooked to create a permanent, physical record that digital reach cannot replicate.
