Artist Statement

My artwork is a record of my emotional experiences. Both paintings and mixed media work record my subconscious observations and thoughts as I experience joy, difficulties, awareness, and longing for spiritual and personal connection.

I love to pick up a paintbrush- watching thick and thin lines with the ability to carry a couple of different colors- it is an extension of my arm. I begin planning a piece by meditating, creating sketches and looking at books. I often work brighter and bolder and reduce the image to more complex and quieter colors. What I love best about creating art is the unexpected power and communication that comes from working, thinking, and being honest with the process and the painting. When my work is going well, I am filled with a sense of appreciation, excitement and fulfillment. I know a piece is done when it feels right- the composition is balanced, not just visually but emotionally and/or philosophically and the thought behind the work is clear to me.

The imagery I use is inspired from the human world around me. The human figure, gestures, and natural forms document my memories and observations over the course of time. I work with deep colors, line and mass in a variety of paints, mark-making tools and collage materials to create a surface that reflects my emotions. Layers and transparencies suggest the paradoxes created by my inner and outer lives. Through a combination of an intuitive painting process and careful investigation of movement, color shifts and forms, I build a compositional structure to support the emotional content of the work. My work is about my interior world of vulnerabilities and gifts.