Artist’s Statement

My work explores mystery and connection. For me, mystery is the sense of not knowing what lies beyond, how life came to be or what comes next. Connection is how things come together and interact.

Life unfolds in layers, each layer connecting to the ones before  and after. Just as notes connect to make music, and words join to tell stories and history, the layers in my paintings come together to reveal a past that can barely be seen and a present that is not fully known -- Some layers of life are dark, others are full of light. Some are filled with grief and disappointment  and others full of  joy. My hope is that my art invites viewers to open to a sense of discovery, noticing the layers and connections that exist within their own lives.

To create my work, I paint many layers and use a wide range of materials including acrylic paints and mediums, paper collage, oil and acrylic crayons, graphite, and charcoal. I often begin with an acrylic underpainting  using tools such as credit cards, brushes, scrapers, combs, and trowels—to scratch, spread, and build texture. From there, the painting takes on its own life. Some areas demand to be obliterated, while others call for more pattern, texture, or color. And so it goes, back and forth. Adding, scraping back and then adding some more. Through this rhythm, the surface grows in depth and complexity.