As an artist, I strive to create exceptionally meaningful work that invites the viewer to engage, explore, and examine the human experience in a new light, and to provide hope. I aspire to instill a new way of seeing and understanding our world. 

My creative process, whether paint or clay, involves taking risks. When painting I use a variety of mediums and begin with exploratory marks to investigate the canvas. The immediacy and the emotional response of this creates the gesture and is the foundation of my work. I have learned that I cannot force the outcome, so I concentrate on color mixing, shape making, and brush strokes while searching for content. I find that the foundation of my most successful work uses a focused concept of emotional reactions, strong tonal values to emphasize mood, colors for atmosphere, and brush strokes to display movement and a sense of urgency. 

I find that my work is ever evolving and changing because it is influenced by life, such as the tragic reality of gun violence and the impact guns have on society. Here, my art explores the emotional impact of mass school shootings through symbolism and the human form to express the individual and collective experience. This body of work was inspired by a 4th grader’s compelling poem: “Because There Was a Gun.” 

Beyond life, my greatest inspiration comes from the uncommon imagination, out of the box thinking, and mystery present in works by artists like Egon Schiele, Francisco Goya, and Maria Kreyn. Their influences are felt on a visceral level and are nuanced throughout my work, like engaging aesthetics that express a sense of mystery and purity, the use of narrative and luminescence, and the seductive nature of line work and unsettling colors. I also find that jazz artists such as John Coltrane and Miles Davis are constant studio companions that affect the mood and success of my work.

Art is my passion and contribution to our world, my creative focus after a complete and successful life as a mother, floral designer, and business owner in the charming and artistically inspiring community of San Luis Obispo. California. Showing up at the canvas regularly, I collaborate with my work until a painting pushes me to its final destination and meaning. Through my work, I am asking the viewer to discover more about me, and ultimately, more about themselves. I’m glad you have arrived here and welcome you along on my artistic journey.