Artist Statement
Upon discovering my profession as an artist, people often ask me what my chosen medium is. While I tend to use oils, I find that the medium isn't as important to me as is the subject. The human form is what I am most passionate about, and it inspires me to pick up the tools to create. I am drawn (pun intended) to people as a subject in every way possible: visually, emotionally, psychologically, sexually (we'd hope), and spiritually.
In my desire to artistically explore my love of the figure, I depict it several different ways: representationally, abstractly, and
symbolically. These types of depiction embody (pun intended) the major themes I like to work with… body, heart, and soul.
When I employ a representational style in my work, I focus on the physicality and sexuality of our perception of the body. These works are usually in oil, or charcoal. It is important to me to be accurate in these pieces, with a strong focus on detail and colors.
My abstract style developed while I was in grad school. It is a more visceral, textural, and cathartic exploration of the psychological. These sepia-toned works tend to depict the body in a more primal, abject way.
My symbolic work arises from an emotional and spiritual perspective. For example, I frequently employ the tree and roots as conceptual symbols. To me, trees are a symbolic representation of human spirituality or of the soul. I see humans reaching out, thirsty for knowledge, love, and understanding, just as the roots reach deep into the dirt to pull up sustenance from the earth.
These three styles come together synergistically to form the component aspects of the body of my work, and define the ways I connect emotionally and express meaning through my art.
In my desire to artistically explore my love of the figure, I depict it several different ways: representationally, abstractly, and
symbolically. These types of depiction embody (pun intended) the major themes I like to work with… body, heart, and soul.
When I employ a representational style in my work, I focus on the physicality and sexuality of our perception of the body. These works are usually in oil, or charcoal. It is important to me to be accurate in these pieces, with a strong focus on detail and colors.
My abstract style developed while I was in grad school. It is a more visceral, textural, and cathartic exploration of the psychological. These sepia-toned works tend to depict the body in a more primal, abject way.
My symbolic work arises from an emotional and spiritual perspective. For example, I frequently employ the tree and roots as conceptual symbols. To me, trees are a symbolic representation of human spirituality or of the soul. I see humans reaching out, thirsty for knowledge, love, and understanding, just as the roots reach deep into the dirt to pull up sustenance from the earth.
These three styles come together synergistically to form the component aspects of the body of my work, and define the ways I connect emotionally and express meaning through my art.