Artist Statement

I am a native Chicagoan, now living in Wheeling, Illinois. My degree is from the University of Illinois in Chicago, with an emphasis in painting and printmaking. I have gravitated toward pastel and colored pencil work, with the recent addition of collage as a form of expression.

Most of my work could be described as intimate, contemplative and careful. The subject matter varies between real and abstract. In both, I explore the way light and color reveal and conceal shapes within a painting or drawing. My compositions explore relationships between lines, shapes, colors, and values.

When working from real life, my usual themes are landscapes, buildings (inside and outside), and close-ups of nature. I am interested in how light, color, perspective and point of view affect the significance of a scene or object.
I work slowly, building up the surface in layers of color.This allows me the luxury of reflection and consideration for each color applied and each line added.

In my drawings and paintings of buildings, I use color and light to help tell a story about the depiction. In both interior and exterior scenes, I enjoy working with light and shadow. The shadows play across the architectural surfaces, building them into private places for the viewer’s observance. It is hoped that past experiences of the viewer will resonate from within the works, connecting the viewer to the building, both as a place and as a sculptural image.

My abstract work has its basis in the natural world. I layer both shapes and colors within the works, creating depth with those layers. I often use the structure of a grid or framework within my drawings or paintings. I find the grid anchors the drawing, both allowing variations on a theme within the sections, and also suggesting map-like qualities within the works.

My collages are formed of torn and cut magazine photographs. I enjoy juxtaposing colors, and experimenting with the way the colors work together. Using different magazine pieces next to each other creates added movement within the work that would not be present if the work was just painted. The animal collages suggest their kinship with Japanese woodcuts. The abstract pieces play with light and dark to create sensations of depth.

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