artist statement
I create paintings in encaustic (a wax-based pigment), acrylic, and oil. My works rely on building layers of color and texture, and are often the result of multiple paintings on a single surface.
I am inspired by the ways in which we humans make sense of the world. The way we bring meaning and purpose to our lives, and the way we can hold conflicting ideas or feelings simultaneously. It is these edges of inner conflict that interest me. This liminal space is where we can discover insights about ourselves and about the world around us. It is where we realize that the more closely we look, the more boundaries can fall away.
As a book lover and a voracious reader, I often incorporate text into my work. To me, books are magic; portals to other worlds and experiences. Words and letters are symbols, standing in for a thought or a feeling or an action. The very act of reading is so powerful that it is often controlled or proscribed. I like to imagine myself a type of mage, drawing words for their power, enclosing and including them, to imbue some sort of mystery or wonder in my own work.