In all of my work, I strive to maintain a sense of expressiveness through the use of saturated colors and confident brushstrokes which are a reminder of the process and the physicality of the material. Many of my paintings are created ‘en plein air,’ on location from direct observation, however, I am most interested in capturing the essence of the space rather than conforming strictly to realism. Work done on site tends to be reactionary and energetically painted. My choices of color relate to the temperature, weather conditions, and my own mental state as much as they relate to the local color of the scenery and the resulting painting provides a snapshot of the particular moment in time as I experienced it. The practice of plein air appeals greatly to me for this reason; it is both an intimate and accessible art form.

As a landscape painter, I take inspiration from the beauty of nature but also in how places shape community identity. The spaces I depict range from cultivated public parks to urban alleyways, physical representations of community and connection. I am fascinated by the overlapping of memories that occurs in these shared spaces. Public parks and humble neighborhood alleyways are the sanctuaries of the city where connection is forged both with our neighbors and with the community identity of the city. 

In crafting my composition, I negotiate a simultaneous level of representationalism and aesthetically satisfying abstraction. Continuously balancing realism and graphic simplification provides a challenge that sustains my engagement in the process of creation and stimulates active visual interpretation. I want my work to reveal itself slowly. So much of our visual consumption is fast-paced media designed to be clearly recognizable in an instant and requiring very little effort on part of the consumer. I want my work to be seen at a slower pace and require conscious participation, reconditioning the mind to study and interpret the visual patterns.

My work relies on the innate intimacy of the human form as a channel for projection. In combining figures from disparate source material in unusual interactions, I provoke the human urge to reconcile new experiences within previously formed frameworks of understanding. My paintings operate as a set rather than as individual artworks, like flashcards in a psychological projection test, with related themes emerging as images are viewed in succession. I am excited by the potential of this work to elicit a wide range of responses; the work is intrinsically neutral, yet transforms into extreme positive or negative depictions based on the viewer-projected narrative. 

As I pair figures in my compositions, look for interactions that imply more than one relationship, leaving room for interpretation through experiential bias. This process offers a framework for reflection on my own pivotal moments of borderline trauma and on my new role as a mother with responsibility over my son’s experiences. So much of what can be understood as trauma occurs during childhood when we are most dependent, vulnerable and impressionable. Confronting unfamiliar, ambiguous scenes mimics a child’s perspective where new experiences must often be assimilated without complete comprehension. 

Equally important to the content is the materiality of the painted surface. I pursue a simultaneous level of representationalism and aesthetically satisfying geometric simplification in my work. Continually adjusting this balance provides a challenge that sustains my creative engagement with the process while enhancing the usefulness of these paintings as tools for projection. Leaving intentional informational gaps prompts the subconscious, automatic response to fill in details, allowing viewers to more easily engage in an active role supplying narrative.

My compulsion in creating this work is to tap into the inner psyche, triggering empathetic responses with the potential to reconcile past experiences. Ultimately, it is the potential for vulnerability, human connection, and healing that drives my work.