From a young age, art was the way I expressed all that I experienced. I held tight to this personal mission to make my voice heard…  to share my view, my lens, the way I saw the world. I always felt that art has the ability to reach everyone, that visual creative expression has the power to bridge the gap between any people, despite personal beliefs, language or life experiences.

​

Incorporating symbolism into my paintings started simply with hearts representing love, and storm clouds representing emotional distress, but now most everything to which I take a paintbrush is wrought and heavy with hidden meaning. Within the last seven years, my paintings have been based upon my own photography. I then recreate the photographs in either acrylic or watercolors and ink, sometimes employing my texture techniques. When one of my paintings shows texture, whether actual or implied, I feel it pulls the audience into the piece. Each of the resulting works is rich in its own story and emotional symbolism, inspired by color theory and societal iconography. 

​

One of my favorite examples of this is my painting entitled, “Ray.”  On a spring day, my father in law asked if I wanted to join him “to check on the land” of his farm. I took my camera along and photographed the natural scenery I stumbled upon as we rode from one plot of land to the next. He had recently purchased the land of a nearby family, and had plans to farm it. There was an abandoned house with an accompanying barn, and I dared not touch a thing, but captured some of my favorite photographs to this day. I was most inspired by the image of a dust-covered, rusty bike, leaning against the barn’s side wall, gazing longingly out the window as if it wished it could be riding along the countryside again… wind rushing by, to have another day in the sun. To me, this painting represents living one’s truth, having the courage to step into the light, and being a part of all the world has to offer.

​

I feel the paintings I create are a vibrant translation of my world, an opportunity to capture a moment in time and share it with others. I am presently exploring the ideas of community diversity, childhood nostalgia, and finding beauty in the broken. Through my art, I hope to express personal stories of love, joy, and loss: the struggles and celebrations of life that most everyone can understand.