Artist Statement
At my core, I am a storyteller. I am a writer as much as I am an artist, but words are often limiting.
My art is an extension of my own stories, breathing life into them in a way words cannot. I play with color and negative space to speak the unspeakable and describe the indescribable. Every piece I craft has a story, no matter how brief or seemingly insignificant.
My work is therapeutic. It's about learning to let go and lean into my own authenticity. Oil painting is highly technical and conjures my inner critic. I balance that with other mediums - fluid art (acrylic pouring and resin work) and mixed media abstract art, both of which require me to relinquish the control and the perfectionism and see where it takes me in that moment. To just be.
Inspirations & Styles
oil
I draw inspiration for my landscapes from the world around me. I’ve traveled to eighteen countries so far and continue to be struck by the beauty of our world wherever I go. Some of the most beautiful places on the planet (that I’ve seen, anyway) include the mountains and lush greenery of northern Afghanistan, the forests of the Pacific Northwest, and the serene Adriatic coast of Croatia.
I love to expand on a single focal point of a painting such as a wide open sky or a big tree and capture the vibe it emits to me.
Fluid Art
With my acrylic pours and resin art, I love emulating a general thing or color scheme in nature - a peacock feather, a geode, a nebula. I particularly love the agate formations in rocks.
Art styles & Artist inspiRations
I’m currently exploring different styles of art, especially pertaining to color use and abstract art.
My current interests include Theosophical art, esoteric art, lyrical abstraction, surrealism, and abstract impressionism.
I am mindful of my color palette and have recently been inspired by the Theosophical color palette, which relates specific colors to specific emotions and thoughts, as well as Fauvism, which places value in strong colors rather than real representation.
My all-time favorite artists include Madhuri Bhaduri, Claude Monet, Jackson Pollock, Vincent Van Gogh, June Leaf, Georgia O’Keefe, Gustav Klimt, M.C. Escher, Albert Lebourg, and Robert Pinchon.
While in the early days, art history is quite male-dominated, I (as a woman and a feminist) make a point to explore the unheard voices of women artists of various art movements. Currently, I am most inspired by (aside from the women listed above) Nadežda Petrović, Helen McNicoll, Lenora Carrington, Kiki Smith, and Helen Frankenthaler.
It’s important to me to explore, appreciate, and amplify the works of Black, Latinx, Asian, and Native American artists, as well as the art of other marginalized groups. Those artists that inspire me most at the moment are Tahia Halim, Kara Walker, Frida Khalo, Huguette Caland, Tony Abeyta, Lady Aiko, DALeast, Sumana Chowdhury, and Beauford Delaney.
Finally, as a combat veteran, I recognize that every veteran has a story to tell. I love and am inspired by the works of my fellow brothers and sisters in arms, most especially Richard Diebenkorn, Sam Francis, Robert Raauschenberg, and of course, the man, the myth, the legend - Bob Ross.
Mediums & Techniques
oil
I began painting landscapes on canvas using the “wet-on-wet” (alla prima) technique made popular by Bob Ross in the ‘90s. As I’ve evolved as an artist, I switch between alla prima and exploring other layering techniques. I also love plein air painting.
My current landscape palette includes Titanium-Zinc White, Hansa Yellow (Light), Yellow Ochre, Naphthol Red, Sap Green, Prussian Blue, Burnt Umber, and Ivory Black.
Acrylic
In the realm of fluid art, I create acrylic pours, which is a cathartic process. There’s something soothing yet thrilling about a medium you can’t really control. In many ways, it’s the antithesis of oil landscapes. Where oil landscapes are quite technical, pouring is quite literally “go with the flow”.
I experiment with different techniques when pouring, but my personal favorites are the Dutch pour and the tree ring pour. I love to play with lines and negative space.
Resin
Resin is the newest medium to me in the fluid art family. I create geode/agate-style functional objects such as coasters and wine caddies. I also blend the world of pours and resin by creating acrylic pours on ceramic coasters and covering them in resin. I use mica pigment powders and alcohol ink to tint my resin and use embellishments such as gold/silver/rose gold foil and crushed mirror and glass.
Mixed Media
Recently, I’ve been exploring mixed media abstract art. I love experimenting with new mediums and as of recent, my favorites include charcoal, oil pastels, and alcohol ink.