Acrylic Paintings
 

         My work explores themes of balance, control, and restlessness. One of the deepest needs of the human heart is to have a sense of control. When we feel out of control, we can experience a powerful tension between our dominance and the evidence of inadequacy. These paintings become ambassadors of that familiar tension. By mixing paint with various amounts of water and compressed air, I find ocean-like forms that range from aggressive waves to calming shores. It reminds me of the way our lives, however tumultuous, can give us glimpses beyond to a magnificent God. This technique of combining impulsive movements with hints of intentionality has taught me to value spontaneity, improvisation, and inventiveness. My goal is to reveal the beauty of an unpredictable process, to encourage someone to consider the bigger picture, and to inspire hope. 

 

Oil Paintings
 

         We were promised freedom, but we became enslaved. We were promised intimacy, but found only isolation. We were promised excitement, but we eventually got bored. We were promised "adult entertainment,” yet we became increasingly juvenile.
        Information and truth is shared, filtered, and manipulated through means of modern communication. Although the evolution of technology has made an enormously positive impact on our world, it has opened many doors to potential long-term issues related to self-image, communication, and intimacy. These distortions of truth affect how we view ourselves, how we view others, and ultimately how we grow and share ourselves with others. If social media has impacted anything in my life, it has shaped my understanding of true and false intimacy. The solution, I believe, is found in transparency, vulnerability, and uncommon community.

         My work explores themes of intimacy, isolation, and the suggestion of human presence and absence through the representation of fabric. I love how fabric is personal yet universal. It is not tied to any particular culture or race, and it is found in all areas of the world. We are inextricably tied to it throughout all stages of life. Fabric's ability to conceal and reveal continues to provide inspiration to my work as I analyze the complicated nature of the digital age.