Artist Statement

I am an American acrylic and mixed media artist who creates highly textured substrates, using iridescent, metallic and matte paints overlaid to create a complex visual narrative.

My paintings are very personal to me. Some of them represent my lifelong journey: from a childhood that offered few opportunities available to females, to where I am today. They also reflect psychological and spiritual awakenings I have experienced, especially since COVID, a time during which I was able to really focus on my work. My art has dramatically changed and evolved during this period as I have become more conscious of how everything and everyone is connected. Concurrently, I have rejected some previously accepted rules and beliefs, which prevented me from progressing as an artist.

Prior to starting a painting, I develop a texture on the canvas or panel with either wet gesso or with a transparent acrylic medium. I enjoy the challenge this type of surface presents, and the results I achieve are unique and very fulfilling. I have also been experimenting with a variety of textures, patterns, and surfaces, all of which appear in my paintings in a variety of combinations. To achieve complex textures, I will occasionally use acrylic molding paste, which, once set and cured, I can alter the designs with linocut tools. I then apply several layers of metallic and matte acrylics to get my desired effect. I frequently incorporate composite metal leaf into my art, either unmodified or as an underlayer of painting, to accentuate the iridescence of that section of the work. 

I intentionally design my paintings to attract the viewer to study the depth and secrets hidden beneath the textured surface. Many of my current paintings focus on the degradation of our environment resulting from climate change, which ultimately reduces life expectancy. Other recent works are more whimsical – a welcome relief from the serious nature of my previously mentioned work. Corvids, such as crows and ravens, are frequently included in my work; these birds are incredibly intelligent, hold spiritual value in a variety of cultures, and have an engaging personality.

Handicrafts created by my mother and her sisters throughout the course of their lives have likewise influenced my creativity. These Depression-era women, like those in previous cultures, worked with the materials and resources they had at the time, often reusing abandoned artifacts, or employing articles originally designed for multiple or very different purposes. The complexity of their work and creative genius continues to influence me to this day.

Other influences include Gustav Klimt's illuminated work, William Morris' contributions to the British Arts and Crafts movements, and the work of indigenous civilizations around the world.