My Process

“I’ve noticed that while each of my works become part of my journey to explore aspects of my subject matter on the canvas, so too they forge a path of discovery of my inner nature.

Artist’s Statement

“I’ve noticed that each of my works allows me to explore subject matter and grow my talent on the canvas, while at the same time forges a path of discovery of my inner nature. It seems the more I paint, the more expansive my interior! I paint in large canvas. I suppose it’s no wonder then since I sit with each work for 40 to sometimes 60 hours before it is complete. Many of those hours are spent contemplating myriad aspects of my life almost in tune with my subject matter. As a result, I’m finding that my art is naturally sorting itself into series

My first series ‘Light Through Glass, Gems, + Jewels’ represents my personal inquiry into peace and joy in my life. As I was bringing my canvases to life, I realized that they were particularly captivating for exactly the drama of the contrast of shadow to light, and the resulting luminescence exists for that crucial interplay. Six works currently in that series are responsible for this artist’s personal acknowledgement that inner beauty appreciates rather than denies the shadow aspects we’ve hidden in the recesses within, which takes enormous life force energy to suppress. With hours of contemplation, I was able to reclaim all of me. That is my definition of healing - being ‘wholly’ who we are so that we can present ourselves authentically, thereby shining bright. To facilitate such an experience, my subjects involve substance through which light and the absence of light can play - glass, gems, jewels, water. While my works are lovely to the eye, I am a teacher at heart, so it is my wish that my diamonds, gems, flowing water into glass remind that the most courageous of journeys is the one that takes us back to ourselves.

From things, I’ve moved on to a series about ideas. My current journey takes me outward into the world ‘to be the change’, where there is much work to be done for improvements and solutions on this beautiful planet. As a communicator, I am moved to express my mission and purpose through my art, by shining a spotlight on simple truths that can help us come together to create, collaborate, and cooperate. To that end, my second series ‘Truth Serums’ looks to rearrange or reconnect everyday experiences or things to bring about a fresh way of seeing an issue or idea. I wish for the viewer to experience an issue through the lens of the heart (our beingness) where we can value the intersection of diversity through empathy and compassion, rather than through the lens of mental constructs (thinkingness) that categorize, sort, and order our way to division and separation.

In my first series, I chose my subject for how brilliantly it could support the play of light. For my second series, I take time for the idea to materialize as I am influenced by articles, books, ads, street life, news, and images and in that array find the feeling within the zeitgeist of an issue to play with how a shift in the energy can elevate how we see it. My painting ‘Bouquet: All Blood Runs Red Under The Skin’ attempts to sooth an idea steeped in sharp and deep emotions to a place of serenity - where diversity is celebrated on the bedrock of unity rather than burdened by heavy luggage packed for destination ‘division and separation’.