An exhibit exploring portraits, figures, and life in 100 stunning, expressive sketches.

The image features the title 'Resolving Shadows' in large, white text on a black background.

Hosted by Mitchell Street Arts, the subjects in his works rise from the shadows hunting for the highlights to find their form. The works in Resolving Shadows mirror the current phase of his life:
Some do so explicitly,
Some do it subtly, and
Some seem intentionally disconnected from it.

And much like life today, there is a sense of uncontrolled chaos to it all.

Portraits

Featured

Blunder

$140.00

Created in response to a prompt from the 2025 Inktober challenge, Blunder was an introspective exploration of doubtful dysmorphia. Can we know if we’re calibrated well enough to see the truth in a mirror? Are the distortions our friends or foe? To mirror the psychological distortions, Blunder distorts the physical proportions in ways so subtle that the truth starts to become indistinguishable from the stories we tell ourselves.

Specifications

Type: Original Sketch
Category: Portrait
Medium: Charcoal / Pastels on Paper
Size: 5.5” x 8”

Rebirth

$230.00

She greets the light like someone kissed by a summer morning following a long, dark winter.
She greets the light like a phoenix rising from charred ashes.

Light heals in mysterious ways.

Specifications

Original Sketch
Profile
Medium: Charcoal on Paper
Size: 11” x 14”
Date: December 2, 2024

Ragged

$230.00

Created in response to a prompt from the 2025 Inktober challenge, Ragged takes the form of a self-portrait that is calm and composed on the surface with a hint of the chaos that lies underneath. This one’s dedicated to every one figuring life out one day at a time while always being a week behind.

Specifications:

Original Sketch
Conceptual / Portrait
Medium: Charcoal / Pastels on Paper
Size: 5.5” x 8”

May I Dream?

$200.00

Some times my best work manifests when I get out of my own way.
May I Dream? is a portrait drawn expressively in haste. The choice of graphite was simply a happy accident because I didn’t have charcoal accessible. As the scribbles came together, a sense of clarity emerged from the chaos in a way that hope finds a way into the darkest spots.
May I Dream? rises from the bottom; it’s loosely defined at first as it gains clarity towards the top.

All of this is simply to seek its own permission: May I Dream?

Specifications:

Type: Original Sketch
Category: Portrait
Medium: Graphite on Paper
Size: 11” x 14”

I'm your sister

$340.00

Created on the same day as Rebirth and Glowing Darkness, I’m your sister feels familiar while evoking a sense of cold distance. There is a sense of ambiguity that feels like strained relationship that’s worth preserving.

If only we could muster the strength to show up.

Specifications:

Original Sketch
Portrait
Medium: Charcoal on Paper
Size: 11” x 14”
Date: December 2, 2024

Figures

Featured

Figures, Original Artwork

Unplanned Jewels

Figures, Original Artwork

$200.00

This is a story worth telling.

The best thing I did while creating this piece was to stop. The thing with art (and life) is that magic is waiting to happen. But you have to show up.

We had planned for the pose to be a longer one. But a short while into the pose, the model was unable to hold the pose and requested to end the pose early. In a frenzied rush, I scampered to throw in any details that could become landmarks that helped me complete the sketch later. A few seconds later, I was left with Unplanned Jewels - an expressive powerhouse of a sketch. I knew in that instant that I couldn’t retouch the piece to “fix” or “improve” any element of it.

Unplanned Jewels was completely unscripted, and better than anything I could’ve created that day.

Magic is waiting to happen; but you have to show up to witness it.

Specifications:

Type: Original Sketch
Category: Figure
Medium: Charcoal on Paper
Size: 24” x 18”

Figures, Original Artwork

Sounds of a Waterfall

Figures, Original Artwork

$250.00

Stylistically, Sounds of a Waterfall was created in stark contrast to my typical style that embraces rich, deep, dark shadows. The preservation of negative space became important almost as soon as I started working on this piece.

Spcifications:

Original Sketch
Figure
Medium: Charcoal on Paper
Size: 14” x 11”

Figures, Original Artwork

Photonic Shadows

Figures, Original Artwork

$300.00

Type: Original Sketch
Category: Figure
Medium: Charcoal on Paper
Size: 24” x 18”

Figures, Original Artwork

Inward Reflections

Figures, Original Artwork

$400.00

What do you do when your artwork tells you to change course? You listen.

The intent was always to have well-defined eyes for this piece. But when it came down to it, the piece was stronger without it. I decided to go with my gut feeling and leave out the details. And in doing so, it looks like the light isn't really falling down on her, but emanating from her. And that little choice changes the whole piece.

In Inward Reflections, she rises from the shadows like a force of light. Is she illuminated from above or within? Because the shadows tell one story while her eyes tell another.

Inward Reflections teems with a tussle of tensions:

Between the light and the shadows
Between the textures - crisp and hazy
Between the planned piece, and the end result

Specifications:

Type: Original Sketch
Category: Figure
Medium: Charcoal on Paper
Size: 24” x 18”

Figures, Original Artwork

Darkly Dreaming

Figures, Original Artwork

$300.00

Type: Original Sketch
Category: Figure
Medium: Charcoal on Paper
Size: 24” x 18”

Figures, Original Artwork

Life

Airport Scenes

Featured

Airport Scenes: Listen Up!!!

$40.00

Medium: Digital sketch on tablet (reMarkable 2)

6” x 6”

Airport Scenes: Coffee Break at FL 360

$40.00

Medium: Digital sketch on tablet (reMarkable 2)

6” x 6”

Airport Scenes: JFK, Wingtip in Rain

$40.00

Medium: Digital sketch on tablet (reMarkable 2)

6” x 6”

Airport Scenes: DAL, Wingtips on a Tarmac

$40.00

Medium: Digital sketch on tablet (reMarkable 2)

6” x 6”

Airport Scenes: PHX, Gates

$40.00

Medium: Digital sketch on tablet (reMarkable 2)

6” x 6”

Snowboarding Scenes

Featured

Snowboarding Scenes: Palisades Groomer

$40.00

The snow groomer (though massive) reminds me of the robot from Wall-E that’s obsessed with cleaning foreign contaminants.

Type: Digital Sketch / Print
Category: Life
Medium: Digital sketch
Size: 6” x 6”

Snowboarding Scenes: A Silent Witness

from $40.00

Type: Print
Category: Life
Medium: Digital sketch
Size: 6” x 6” or 11” x 14”

Snowboarding Scenes: The Trail Less Shredded

$40.00

We took the trail less shredded, and it made all the difference.

Reference Imagery by Jakob Ekum

Type: Print
Category: Life
Medium: Digital sketch
Size: 18”x24”

Snowboarding Scenes: Palisades Chairlift

$40.00

Medium: Digital sketch on tablet (reMarkable 2)

6” x 6”

Snowboarding Scenes: Bomber Bowl

$40.00

Medium: Digital sketch on tablet (reMarkable 2)

6” x 6”

@YesItComesInBlack on Instagram

An Idyllic Afternoon #sketch #cityscapes #remarkablepaper

Stoked to announce that select pieces of the #SnowboardingScenes and #AirportScenes series go live at @varsmallworks on Friday, August 15 as part of the Super Sketchy show. ☺️ #art #sketch #gallery #event

I've been trying to get @yesitcomesincolor kicked off. But that's meant that I've not really posted anything over here. Here are a couple of works in progress from the #AirportScenes series. These were done at ORD and PHX respectively. I'll try to complete them soon enough. Stay tuned for the finished pieces. #sketch #aviationscenes #airportscenes #ORD #PHX #airport #remarkablepaper

This was completely accidental. I often try to plan and orchestrate my ideas and concepts ahead of time. But I find that some of the best ideas are just stumbled upon when I’m simply playing around while sketching. ☺️ #sketch #charcoal #skullart #horror

Calling it for this one. There are a lot of details that I could keep exploring. But I worry it will take away from the expressive nature of the piece. What do you think of the eyes? Coz I love how they turned out. ☺️ #charcoal #pastel #panpastel #sketch #figuredrawing

Switching back to charcoal sketches while I take a break from the digital sketches for a a little bit. I have accumulated several sketchbooks worth of unfinished sketches and this is me seeing things through haha. Also, the model - Bob - holds his poses really really still. It’s quite impressive if I say so myself. #sketch #charcoal #pastel #stilllifeart #lifedrawing #panpastel

Snowboarding Scenes #6 🏂☺️ Reference imagery by @jakeekum 🎥 #sketch #snowboarding #digitalart #remarkablepaper #remarkabletablet #snowboardingscenes

Finally completed the next piece in the #SnowboardingScenes series. 🏂 Haven’t quite thought of a name for this one yet. Open to suggestions. Reference imagery by @jakeekum 🎥 #remarkablepaper #sketch #snowboarding #digitalart #remarkabletablet

Time to compile and review this piece before the final touches. Stay tuned! ☺️ Reference imagery by @jakeekum 🎥 #remarkablepaper #sketch #processvideo #snowboardingart #snowboardingscenes

Spent yesterday adding more details to the background/environment. Still not feeling this a 100%. A part of me is preparing myself to simply archive the piece. I dunno. Reference imagery by @jakeekum 🎥 #sketch #remarkablepaper #snow

Laying the groundwork for the next piece in the #SnowboardingScenes series. This one feels light, airy, and oddly a little spooky at the moment. But this was a night time shot. So in true #YesItComesInBlack fashion, this will be getting dark… fast! Stay tuned! ☺️🏂 Reference imagery by @jakeekum 🎥 #remarkablepaper #sketch #snow #digitalart

We took the trail less shredded, and it made all the difference. 🏂 Reference imagery by @jakeekum 🎥 #remarkablepaper #sketch #snowboardingscenes #snowboarding #snowboardingart #remarkabletablet

Portraits

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Figures

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Life

Airport Scenes

Snowboarding Scenes

@YesItComesInBlack on Instagram

Yes, it comes in Black!