Background
While growing up, art gave me a place to be successful and express myself. I earned an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts from Boston University. My first professional job was teaching art at a facility for adolescents with emotional challenges; there I became interested in social services. I attended George Mason University to earn a Master Degree in Counseling and Guidance and worked for Fairfax County providing, designing, and managing mental health and social services. Throughout my career I continued my painting education through classes at the Alexandria Art League School. After retiring from the County, I moved into my studio at the Workhouse Arts Center.
Influences
My strongest influences are finding beauty in the ordinary and the exploration of the use of color. Vermeer, Cassatt, and Fish are all artists who have found profound beauty and interesting narrative in day to day experiences and ordinary objects. I look to the familiar to present visual stories in a way that is familiar and engaging. Artists such as Van Gogh, Bonnard and Albers are known for their exploration of color and color interactions to add interest and emotion to their work. I work to find the power of color to engage the viewer.
Artistic Philosophy
I paint using oil paints on canvas. The subjects of my paintings are everyday things in still life, landscapes and portraits. My images are mostly representational, with a twist. I hope the viewer will see the familiar anew, in a different way. My approach relies strongly on design and color to engage the observer, and lead them to a meaningful interaction with the subject matter.
By sharing my interests and ideas with others, I hope for them to understand and explore the things and places that I find important and come to their own unique understanding and experience. I believe that by presenting challenging and important ideas using the familiar, viewers can comfortably connect, consider and explore their own beliefs.