Why I Paint

I describe my work as the cumulative expression of a life well lived and hard fought.  My favorite creative tool – the blow torch.  “All I have experienced shows up in my work”.  Using primarily oils, cold wax and, of course, the blow torch, I explore the human condition, the paths we take in healing, growing and essentially the hard work of remodeling ourselves the way we do a home.

 The richness and texture of my pieces are an amalgamation of multiple layers of paint expressing the richness and complexity of the human experience as an antidote to the illusion of compartmentalization.  “Who we are is influenced by exogenous influences but not determined by them.”  The layers upon layers found in my work are very deliberate and highly representational of the effort it takes to heal, grow, and build an intentional life.

 I explore our shared humanity through the lens of healing and the power and strength found in vulnerability. I use my breath alongside the blow torch in the creation of my pieces.  “Sometimes I know exactly what I’m going to see as I burn through the layers and other times, I risk everything for the discovery of what’s underneath and where it will take me.”  Therein lies the truth for me - only through vulnerability and risk do we arrive at our core strength, our next steps and our new beginnings.  Sometimes we just have to play with fire...