My painting is a journey.  I begin with a surface, a picture, and a vague idea and make it my own.   Primarily, I work with oil paints, graphite and watercolors. I love oil paint because I can create a surface that I can layer and dig back into. Though watercolors are the complete opposite in that respect, I enjoy the luminous quality that I can achieve by slowly building up layers and leaving the white of the paper to shine.

I use the human form as a subject for my paintings because they are complex enough to be an exploration and I love their expression. I use both the entire form and up close angles of faces. Most of my face close ups are self-portraits, while I use a model or a stock photo for the figures. Unusual angles attract me and I enjoy the creepy sense that can come from human eyes or a pose.

In my paintings, I begin with watery lines describing form to sketch the beginnings of my piece.  Then I alternate between thick and thin coats, allowing the paint to drip and run down the canvas to designate lines and suggest forms. My graphite and watercolor drawings follow a similar pattern, lines, followed by a buildup of color and drips.

My style comes from observing colors that I can find when light hits an object, particularly skin. The way light can depict form is exciting.  I am influenced by Francis Bacon’s use of drips and blurs that he uses extensively in his paintings.  Degas, too, has a heavy impact on my paintings; I enjoy how his work is beautifully vague with details.  Another artist, Jen Suflita has greatly influenced me with her use of color work.  Other Artists that I draw form in various ways are, Lucian Freud, Pierre Bonnard, Brian Froud and John Howe.

My paintings are ever evolving as I experiment and discover new ideas and methods.  I search for new and more interesting ways to convey my ideas and seek to create something that is purely me.