Artist Statement 2021
I am a perpetual student, always open to learning and exploration. I get excited when I reach a new skill level, discover a new way of making art, or find a new material to work with.
My paintings are theatrical, sometimes playful, influenced by my background as a designer and maker of props, costumes and sets. The vibrant, saturated colours, folds of lace and silk, layered images and textures speak to the energy and flow of the theatre.
My circular canvasses are peepholes through which the audience can peer at the paintings of carefully constructed, still-life tableaus I create using thrift-store objects. My neon landscapes become holding spaces for refugees as they take their first steps in an unfamiliar land. My shadow boxes place figures in landscapes, creating little layered worlds that the viewer can observe from multiple angles and points of view.
While the stage is intentionally set, the story itself is fluid. I seek to create a dialogue between the viewer and the work, inviting the viewer to find their own story within. Each story is unique, and I am delighted when someone finds new meaning in one of my pieces.