Artist Statement

Fundamental to my practice is the notion that much of what happens in the world is governed by chance. Inspired by concepts of indeterminacy, impermanence and interconnectedness I encountered studying science, philosophy and art, I have designed a practice based on luck. I begin paintings with only a basic composition but no goal. I observe how my chosen materials interact with each other as I engage with the textures, colors and shapes that emerge. For me this mirrors the serendipitous and integral process that is life.

I am interested in how objects in the environment acquire and shed particular characteristics. How do people accrue and evolve personal traits? The layers of matter built up and worn away on a surface mirror the accumulation and loss of experiences and memories in the human psyche. While these processes appear parallel, all of nature’s materials are interdependent and constantly interacting. My work considers time as the medium in which transformation occurs and friction as integral to the process. I often use materials that “don’t mix” in order to explore that friction and how opposing elements can create curious and compelling results. Wind, water and chemical elements collide and interact over time creating the layers of texture and color on the earth’s material surfaces. This is analogous to the personal interactions both nurturing and challenging that underpin human experience and contribute to a unique character.

Though inspired by natural materials as well as organic and industrial decay, I avoid literal imagery. Ambiguity is fundamental to experience and these pieces often suggest multiple perspectives. What is a close up rock surface to one viewer may be a satellite view of water to another. I rely on abstraction because I do not want to impose a specific story, concept or object on the viewer. There is no one answer, particular narrative or single meaning. Like people, each piece is a unique microcosm. I invite the viewer to make their own associations in connection with a personal trove of memories and experiences and reflect on their own connection to the interdependent processes that govern our relationships with each other and with our ecosystem.

Perceptual in nature, these paintings are intended to inspire quiet experiential reflection which may be personal or touch on something universal. Each is a meditation on time and the mystery, spaciousness and rich accidental beauty of the natural world as well as its fragility.