Whether it is an allegorical portrait, a figure in an environment, or landscape painting, my love of nature is clear. My childhood was filled with memories of outdoor adventures. My sanctuary away from all things hectic is deep in the woods. This love permeates the symbolism I so often use.
In my most recent mixed media work, “Like a Tree, Armillaria,” I explore the parallels of the natural world and the human experience; in particular, the similarities of disease found in nature and people suffering from chronic pain and illness. This painting, like much of my recent work, attempts to connect to a part of my life not outwardly visible.
The process of working in layers has both a significance to the meaning of my work and resonates with my need to build texture. I have always been inspired by paintings thick with impasto or scraped with a sharp tool. I seek to create works that both evoke feeling and the desire to touch the surface. For me, there is no greater visual sensation.
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