Artist Statement

I create images meant to evoke positive emotion and awaken the senses within their viewer. I call my genre "positive art" because I want my artwork to conjure feelings of joy, hope, gratitude and possibility. I love telling stories through renderings of figurative and still life scenes. Where our culture tries to condemn discussion of love, intimacy, erotica and sexuality, my photography and paintings encourage conversation and celebration through their display.

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My intention is for each viewer to recognize the types of subjects they are looking at, feel the energy and mood I am offering, but have enough freedom to add extra dimensions to the story. An integral part of the focus of my artwork is illuminating the presence of nuance. I desire for my work to elicit conversation around the numerous and complex potential stories. I aim to provoke the viewer to reject either/or thinking and reap the benefits of an open and playful mind.

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I jump back and forth in between a handful of series at a time. I savor juxtaposing styles and media throughout my work. I primarily use oil paint and pastel because it frees me to experiment with composition, color, texture, and style as I go, without being confined by the demands of rigid, precise details. This enables the process to stay playful for me and elicits a feeling of mystery, depth and imagination on the part of the viewer.

 

When I want to express definition, realism or elements of pop-culture, I grab my camera and capture figurative portraits, still and candid moments and even video, through my lens. My painting style could be described as impressionistic with a hint of vintage vibe. I use vibrant blocks of color, smattered brush strokes, and bold, contrasting patterns to allow the viewer many opportunities to enjoy the details over and over again.