Artist Statement
These paintings are my story. The story behind each one is as important as the painting itself. My work captures the duality of hardness and softness in people--the conflicting voices saying, "Don't trust happiness, but things will be alright." My paintings are successful when they lure people out of a sleepwalk to say "Yes, me too." For fifteen years I have painted compulsively and learned through doing how to better tell each story. I paint on wood so that I can work the colors hard using brushes or my hand. I sand through layers of paint to bring colors up from underneath. These paintings are for people who know darkness and appreciate the light.