The Why of it All

After two decades navigating a creative journey, I’m finding my footing in painting. I spent years pushing fine art and painting to the side while being immersed in the arts. From a degree in graphic design to several jobs as a fine art framer, photo developer and design teacher and ultimately designer. I found ways to stay close to art knowing well aware that a career as a fine artist would be a challenge.

Instead I built a career next to art working in marketing with some of the best Creative Directors, Photographers and illustrators in the world. All of which gave me access to create beautiful and visible work with insanely talented people at the helm. But it also wrecked my nervous system. When life handed me a cliff to fall from (being fired from an executive role at an agency) I turned to art as a lifeline.

The process of drawing and painting became meditation. It became a way to reconnect to myself and quiet the stories I was repeating over and over again. I’ve since leaned into the vulnerability of what this work means to me and I’m able to connect with the viewer in a new way.

The feelings of anxiety, disconnection and unease are something I think everyone can connect with in some way. My hope is that my story shows up in the work. Not just in the motifs but the pace of the marks, the freedom of color choices and the softness of the lyrical shapes.

I’m interested in the investigation of presence and what that means to viewer. What connects you to these pieces?