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 current work is inspired by specific 17th and 18th century French paintings. The relationship between the figures and nature is what 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 but also the essence of this harmony – the narratives invite interpretation while the expressive painterly gestures evoke sensation. There are hints of an anxious energy bubbling up and a surreal dreamlike strangeness charges these Arcadian visions with a sense of mystery, and even foreboding.

Currently, I am also working on a series inspired by Henri Matisse – mostly, the paintings done in Nice, in the ’20s, and later. My paintings address the mystery of the relationship between the figures and their environments. Themes of isolation, loneliness, and contemplation are represented, but also the beauty of intimate, personal spaces – spaces of the imagination.