ARTIST STATEMENT

Our biological evolution teaches us that we are one with nature,

though our current society tries to persuade us otherwise. Loss of

connection to the natural world results in loss of self. We are born

of the earth and, upon death, will return to the earth, so why then

do we ignore the importance and beauty of it in the interim? In my

paintings, I strive to reconnect myself and others through playful

reverence of the outdoor world. I’m not only looking for nature’s

perfections but also the aberrations and strangeness that can

be so delightful and surprising to discover if we only take the time.

It is in the careful study of those imperfections-the asymmetry of

shape, the roughness of texture, the decay and impermanence of

lifeforms- that we can truly understand and appreciate the

imperfections in ourselves.

My current body of work is like deviating from a familiar forest

path and discovering a strange garden. Each piece skirts the

border between the real and the imagined like the memory of a

childhood pastime exploring the natural world. I create my work

through a blending of paint, original stencils and drawings,

and found imagery bearing witness to nature in all its wonder

and fragility. I intend for my work to remind us of the garden

we loved but lost over time.