Artist Statement
My paintings delight in narrative and surreal mysteries. They are portals to another world where the viewer is free to escape, to daydream. Often humorous, sometimes poignant, my work encourages alternative thinking and a sparking of the imagination.
I have been exploring chameleonic behavior in my work for several years. The chameleonic attributes of the characters in these paintings represent ideas of mindfulness, consciousness, connection and awareness of place. Some of my paintings reflect a longing to hide. Other pieces explore desires of fitting in. Observing my twin teenagers wrestle over who they are, wanting to both blend in and stand out at the same time, stirs up this struggle even more in my work. Most of us grapple with the desire to become part of something without completely losing ourselves.
Most of my work can be divided into two fascinations; surreal scenes and patterned portraits. Both are a critical part of my practice and I cannot have one without the other. They work simultaneously, cross-pollinating and stretching different parts of my mind while allowing me to zoom in to create a more intimate portrait and zoom out to imagine an interesting scene.
My surreal scenes bridge both interior and exterior elements creating an entirely new world. This melding of outside/inside can be traced to my love of fantasy and science fiction. My patterned portraits reflect an appreciation for vintage wallpaper, fabric, as well as a love of early Hollywood. I am heavily influenced by the style and characteristics of vintage photography which provides a sense of history, nostalgia and timelessness. Some of my earliest and fondest memories date back to days spent with my family in antique stores, thrift shops and estate sales scouring through photo albums and getting lost in another era.