Hi there!
Although I have been artistic all my life, I only began seriously drawing and painting about 20 years ago, earning my BFA in 2011 and opening my studio the same year.
I have been blessed with a natural affinity for teaching. Interacting with students inspires me in my own work, and their successes bring me joy.
I describe myself as an impressionist landscape painter, and my work focuses on intensified color, light, and texture.
I feel inspired to paint when something in a scene grabs my attention—usually the light—and calls me to explore it further. Inevitably, I find that my paintings are more a reflection than a copy of the subject; the act of painting creates a natural synergy between what I see and how I see.
Recently, I have begun to push the boundaries of that synergy by incorporating whimsical objects into realistic scenes, inviting viewers to suspend their disbelief and indulge their imagination. Is there are narrative or symbology to the added elements, or are they just for play?
Who are your favorite artists?
Contemporary: Victor Wang, figurative; and Wolf Kahn, landscape
Historic: Vincent Van Gogh, impressionist; Odilon Redon, symbolist
Which painting styles are you drawn to?
Impressionism and Expressionism, although recently I am exploring Symbolism
What is your favorite type of painting?
I really enjoy impasto painting, which is painting really thickly.
How has your work changed over time?
The more I paint, the more I try to push the boundaries of what I’ve learned. For example, how thick can I paint, and how far from reality can I go with color and, or subject matter and still have it be believable?
Have you always been an artist?
Let’s say I’ve always been very creative and artistic. I went back to school to pursue my BFA as an adult, and that is when I focussed my artistic energy into drawing and painting.