Through my creations I see and feel places that give me comfort and understanding of the world we live in. I get there through life circumstances, meditation, and closing my eyes and imagining wherever I want to go. These places are not escapes; but reminders of how beautiful and tragic life is at the same time. They are places I go for serenity, thankfulness, contemplation and justification, balance, harmony – both love and hate. 

I have continually pursued my art even when I have been tempted to give up on life itself. Art kept calling me back. My recent paintings represent my fascination with life and death, and the polarity between the two. Without loss or decay, we would not know beauty. I want to embrace loss as I do life. Loss should be equally celebrated. Loss should be talked about more. We all need to know loss is ok, the darkness is ok. I believe loss should be held sacred and celebrated. Instead, we try to suppress every bad emotion and judge ourselves for having them. 

I believe there is a reason for every loss, as it is the opportunity to grow in unimaginable ways, if one can trust there is a good in the loss. With equal parts of good and bad, loss and life, each contributing to the other, I believe with trust good and life always prevail. This is what inspires me to paint. 

Similarly, my painting process goes through the stages of loss and life. I use old reclaimed objects and textiles, recycling the old, the lost, the forgotten, into something new. I start out by adding collage elements, a bit of paint, continually revising what is not working, ripping out -loss – and starting new again -life. My paintings take a life of their own. It feels as if the painting painted itself as I have no expectations as to the outcome. It is when I feel it is complete, I have achieved the mood and technical aspects of the painting that it is done. The painting has gone through so much, as if it and its elements are purified through process of give and take, loss and life. 

My paintings are a reminder of the power and exquisite nature of dark and light and the importance of both in the unseen world. The materials I use and the process the painting goes through reflect the unseen beauty of both positive and negative energies, of dark and light, of loss and life. Materials used don’t always go easily together the first time, and with experimentation and a willingness to see another perspective, it makes what may have been categorized as a mistake now my favorite part of the painting. 

Painting is my spiritual connection. It gives me meaning and purpose. I paint because I believe that is why I am here. I paint for myself, the joy and exploration of it. I paint for others to inspire with grace and beauty to open people up to the magic of an imagined world and the endless possibilities of our existence.