Artists Statement

When I see light on an object, I see it in layers. I see not only the color of the object but also the color of the light, direct or reflected, and its impact on the object. The light creates a connection in the composition, each object absorbing and reflecting, becoming a mirror of its surroundings. I strive to compose a vignette with a sense of a broader environment and a harmony of positive and negative space.

I like to use unfinished boards to create my still-life oil paintings. The natural texture of the wood often lends its organic layer to the composition. The brushes I use are just simple bristle brushes that I trim. The brushes, feeling like an extension of my arm, leave their mark, which helps to create the pattern I use to paint. My strokes are vertical and linear, and I use these strokes to paint the total composition. I have come to enjoy applying the paint in layers, each giving more depth to the image. The layers build up lines of different colors, which help me express the layers of light that wash across the objects in my still lives.

Every time I begin a new piece, I am filled with confidence and insecurity. Knowing I have created beautiful images, I believe I can get through each new painting, yet the process is always daunting. Creating a painting is like jumping off of a cliff, and I must make a soft landing. I am always in awe of the work when I am finished.

When the paintings are done, they often evoke a feeling of nostalgia, watching the rain on a window pane or feeling the sunlight on a summer evening. Synaesthesia means a union of the senses, one sense inciting another. This seemed to fit well with my art, as the beauty of the work always awakens feelings of joy, serenity, and peace.