Artist Statement:

“I use my art to capture the memories of place and peace, of history and stories, of time and timelessness.  The elements and symbols of my life that are personal to me are also universal to all.  Water and light, both literally and figuratively, run throughout most of my work.  Water symbolizes many elements of our lives from birth to death.  Calm and soothing or powerful and dangerous.  We need water for life, but it also takes life away.  The same is true of light.  Warm and soft or cold and harsh.  Necessary for life; its absence defines death. 

My journey of art making began with photography and then traveled via wax into encaustic and cold wax abstract painting.  Once I melded my photography into painting, I found my newer work also evokes a similar sense of calmness, luminosity, and depth of place.  Both encaustic and cold wax painting allow for the buildup of many layers of paint and a level of fluidity that is natural to the material.  Concealing and revealing different layers, I try to abstract the topic enough to be subject to interpretation, yet still referring to certain times and places. 

The exploration of my own experiences moved me from representative to referential works and created more of an opportunity for others to interpret my paintings in their own way.  I have realized the power of interpretation that the viewer brings to the experience of art.  A painting is not just a two-dimensional object to sit on the wall.  It speaks back to the viewer and asks questions.  In that conversation, the viewer now becomes a part of the art.”