Artist Statement

I am a third generation artist who was heavily influenced by my mother’s technical illustrations and paintings. I’m drawn by both the structured geometric and linear elements of tech design, as well as the organic flow and intuitive movements that happen in abstract painting. Running seven miles every morning keeps me connected to nature and the universe at large, and I believe that the mind and universe exist as a pair. This awareness is woven throughout my imagery and mark-making. The fractal branching of a tree, or the crack filler on a road are not represented as they are, but rather as subconscious interpretations that often intersect and engage with social and political issues that occupy my mental landscape.

My most recent series of paintings attempt to bridge the gap between the dream world and reality. Pulling from an otherworldly place, and using multiple layers of paint and glaze, I hope to bring forth a personal story—a visual stream of my subconscious. Most often my paintings begin with only a color scheme in mind. At the start of my work I spread paint in an exhilarating period of complete freedom, energy and expression. Moving paint around the canvas, I am guided only by my gut and instincts – one color guides another, one shape dictates the next. Brushes, sometimes affixed to a long stick or pole, scrapers, sponges, pencils and my hands, attempt to speak the truth of what is hidden in my psyche. After this initial development the real work begins—the work of tearing down and rebuilding, the work of trying to unify multiple visions so that there will be one coherent story. There is always struggle before the resolution but it is in the act of painting that a narrative emerges and perhaps even some meaning from this mysterious place.