Artist Statement

I create out of the memory of a sensation or from visual material that manifests itself in my imagination. When there is a need for more heightened realism I work from personal photographs and live models. Through this process I discuss and explore the interaction between physical, mental and emotional evolution in our contemporary environment.
I am drawn to the two dimensional format because it feels like a window into another world. However, I sometimes feel the need to break the frame and bring the world of my imagination into a three dimensional installation. I gravitate towards tactile materials that allow me to become physically immersed in the experience of producing an artwork. My body is the vehicle for my interior images so I view the active component of making something the most effective form of communicating my vision.
Patterns and repetitions are a consistent, subtle part of my art. These patterns provide a structure in which the human forms undulate. Sometimes the patterns eliminate the figurative quality, obscuring the human form being embedded under the repetitions. Many of these patterns are derived from fractals in nature. Human development is based on both nature and nurture. We are part of the natural world, and we are products of the culture we have created. I am engaged in examining how these elements harmonize together to create an individual's multifaceted identity. I am specifically interested in the tenacity required of women. I attempt to be inclusive in my work without appropriating others’ pain.
We are born with intuitive guides, and as female people develop we formulate ourselves within the rhythms of society. The collective beliefs and structures imposed upon women as we grow impact our behaviors, choices and self view. I endeavor to create a visual literature of women depicted with dignity and grace, while also considering the current and historical oppression of our gender.