Artist Statement

Why do I paint? There are other things I can do, and am doing, with my life. But this form of creativity feels right and is habit-forming. And, I paint because I need to paint; there is something inside me clawing to get out. Of course, there is more to it than that. My paintings are a continuous search to find the meaning from the noise and texture that is built up in layers of under-painting - finding and developing the focal point, like a beacon in the chaotic noise of life. My process requires periods of study and reflection, and, periods of intense application. I believe in balancing outbursts of spontaneity, which bring the painting alive, with deliberate refinements that bring meaning to the mess. However, it’s not just an intellectual exercise. It’s about the feeling or emotional response you get from looking at the paintings. With my work, I want people to feel they are walking into the paintings and becoming immersed in them. I hope people will let my paintings reach out to them. So much in this life is so distant and disconnected that, if a painting is compelling, if it can elicit a visceral response in a viewer, then it has succeeded.

Artist Bio

I have lived in Frederick, MD since 2006. I first began showing my work locally in 2010 when I was twenty-seven, displaying my paintings at The Frederick Coffee Company and The Frederick Artists Market. As I’ve moved into abstract painting, I’ve been able to display my work in group member shows at The Delaplaine Visual Arts Center. I've also exhibited at the 505 North Gallery in Frederick. My paintings have been exhibited in local and national shows, such as the Frederick Memorial Hospital Crestwood Gallery Women's Center 2016 Jury Art Exhibit, the Abstraction: Diverted Reality 2016 show in Moberly, MO, and the 2016 Abstract National Jury Show at the Wichita Center for the Arts in Wichita, KS. The first solo exhibits of my work were held at the Delaplaine Visual Arts Center in August 2016, and Frederick Community College in November 2016. I am a member of Foundry Gallery in Washington DC, as well as The Artists Gallery in Frederick, MD.