Artist Statement

     In life one comes upon moments that demand you stop everything to capture a mental snapshot. When this occurs, I take a couple of minutes to meditate on the scene displayed in order to memorize every detail. I commit to this practice in hopes of easily recalling the visual image in the future. However, recollections have a way of shifting. They distort and change over time. They are weak to suggestions. For example, your past can gradually alter when a relative retells a childhood story with embellishment. Soon a picture in an old photo album becomes the only window to your past. As these visual memories erode we tend to grasp at them by recreating granules of detail that were not there originally. My work is about the intricacies and details. It is about the shifting of my memories and how a story can be told in multiple parts that together make a whole. Each segment painted represents a different grain or a specific aspect of my narrative. I contrast these moments in time by linking together images through a composition of circular arcs. My paintings are a quilt of contrasting pattern and texture that when combined create visual portals to my mental snapshots.
      Once I find the focus of my piece, I begin by laying out the structure of my composition with an intricate design of circles and arcs. I use circles because they represent universal cycles that are found in life and how time fades away just like ripples on the surface of water. These arcs and swirls become portals that connect and explore duality through contrast. My next step in my creation process is to consider it in more than just one dimension. My memories are not only visions and moods they are tactile and full of textures. I can remember shopping at the quilting store with my mom as a child and how the different fabrics felt as I trailed my fingertips along their rough to silky surfaces. This is why I push my paintings to develop into a non-traditional third dimension with acrylic mediums, non-traditional materials and canvas projections.
      Once I’ve established the textural elements, I begin to paint each individual section in detailed layers. When I’m painting I focus on creating contrasting patterns. By implementing pattern in my work, I am attempting to recreate the details of my story through focusing on the practice of physical recitation. After my painting is complete, I want the viewer to feel the need to move in closer and explore the various dimensions. When it comes to details, I believe more is more. That concept is why I create a complex structure of arcs, surface treatments, and repetition to convey my message. My paintings are a quilt of contrasting pattern and texture that when combined create visual portals to my mental snapshots.