Fear at one point in my life controlled my decisions, until an accident changed that and fear became my motivation. My life changed after a car accident that made everyday things hard to accomplish. I relearned how to hold a fork, brush my hair and get dressed. I fought my way back to a measure of myself. This battle gave me the courage to express myself through paint. When the brush is in my hand anything is possible. One brushstroke at a time an image is formed that gives life to thoughts fears, hopes, dreams and silent battles.
Painting with oil is my medium of choice, because it is a forgiving, liberating art form. Oil paints display bright or muted colors from realistic to abstract images. I enjoy mixing realistic images with abstract backgrounds. I love the dark backgrounds of the Baroque period and use this often in my work, because I feel it brings the image forward allowing a closer view of a private moment. Did you look into the eyes of another? What do you see when you looked? It is those private moments of reflection, or expression that I like to capture on canvas. Not all of these battles are of our choosing, but there is a certain beauty in overcoming or challenging the moment. |