Art is expression, evocation, emotion. Art speaks, cries or demands, it makes you feel, think or laugh.
A California native, San Francisco is my chosen home. I am primarily a self-studied artist, studying the work of the ancient and modern masters first hand in major museums nationally and in Europe.
I choose to focus on the human figure because of the figure’s ability to evoke feelings in the viewer, as we relate to the emotional signals of other humans. My work is inspired by dreams and is heavily influenced by my love of history, literature, music and myth but can also incorporate political or feminist issues. Much of my work reflects my sense of humor, which can be…a bit dark at times. I frequently think of paintings as one would a stage tableau, capturing a moment in time.
Oil on panel is my favored 2D medium, I find the organic and traditional method of layers of pigment suspended in thickened medium resonates with me more than any other method of painting. Some work incorporates low relief sculpture and gold leafing techniques as well.
My wall-hung and freestanding 3D pieces in ceramic are figurative and narrative as well. Instead of traditional glazes, I prefer the earthiness of the black clay I use to take priority, tinting with oil colors after firing.
Symbolism can be used like a language. Each of us creates our own symbols of remembrance with each new experience – our own personal history which over time, can take on a mythic quality, becoming the narrative of our lives. These lived or dreamed stories are the narrative of our world. This world of narrative then becomes the garden that feeds our literature and art. My hope is that my work speaks to the viewer in this shared language of narrative, and that my work might not merely reveal my own intended meaning, but initiate an imagined story or feelings independently of any original intention within each person who views them, creating a myriad of possible meanings for each work.
