Artist Statement

The beauty of the colors is what draws us at first into these pictures. Then, subtle compositions hold our attention while mysterious narratives invite lingering.

 My work is inspired by specific 17th and 18th-century French paintings. The relationship between the figures and nature attracts me to these painters, as well as the representation of a dreamlike setting. In the 18th century, Watteau and Fragonard painted a world of pleasure and love but with the certainty that all pleasures are transient. My paintings address the mystery of the relationship between the figures and nature and the essence of this harmony – the narratives invite interpretation while the expressive painterly gestures evoke sensation. Sometimes there are hints of anxious energy bubbling up, and a surreal, dreamlike strangeness charges these Arcadian visions with a sense of mystery tinged with delight and foreboding.

 Figures inhabiting interior spaces from the early modern period have inspired new series. Themes of meditative solitude and contemplation are represented, and the charm of intimate, personal spaces – dreamlike spaces of the imagination. 

Involvement in the painting process is key for me; as Helen Frankenthaler said:
“let the picture take you where it must go” 
In my recent work expressive painterly gesture and an emphasis on process transform timeless themes into an original dreamlike vision.