artist statement

I paint to take myself out of my comfortable little square and open myself up to different paths and perspectives. I paint to free my mind from day-to-day stresses, worries, and demands, becoming an open vessel for something new and often unexpected. I paint to bridge gaps and create connections between myself and the canvas and later between the canvas and the viewer, pushing myself out, spiraling wider to the next landing zone.

Connections make the world go ’round, and abstract attracts me because there’s no boundaries, no guidelines, and no safety net. When the process is “working” it’s a moving, glorious thing that creates its own gravity, that surprises and delights. When it’s not, it’s like trying to solve a complex problem where an infinite number of solutions are possible. I like the problem-solving piece of it, just me in a room, deciding my next move.

When I start a new piece, it’s a process of choosing a path, determining tones and value, forming in my mind a plan of attack, and then letting the intuition take over to move the work in a completely unforeseen direction. Safety and strife, comfort and chaos, strength and instability, it’s this dichotomy that I find so compelling and challenging to capture. Embracing the unexpected to achieve something wholly different than the intention never ceases to get old.

I exclusively use acrylic and latex paint as their generally quick drying time lends to fast paced decisions and movements, increasing the occurrences of unpredictability and chance happenings which add depth, excitement, and meaning to every piece.