Artist's Statement:
I express an idea in bold colors and a simplified structure to open the work to the viewer. For example, in 'This Space for Rent' the canvas is laid out per one-point perspective; and the objects are demarcated into a focused foreground, a vague middle ground, and an indistinct background. The abstracted symbols are to evoke the viewer's personal memories and associations. For me, the silhouetted mesas elicit memories of Westerns and astonishment at the West's scale and awe-inspiring landmarks. I also incorporate symbols that spring from our collective memory. The road leading to an unseen area behind by the billboard represents for me our American mythology around adventure, exploring the unknown, and finding our heroic self. Yet the road is an ugly, black, tangled ribbon unattached to the natural landscape. The sign is an imposition telling us the way to access the area beyond is with money, a social contrivance. Our myth and the quest after it is mundane and even profane.

I use bold, rich colors to initially attract the viewer and texture the colors to elicit a sustained look. A quick glance at the familiar reassures us. But deeper inspection reveals the embedded iconography, and we educe our own associations. I find that my response to each painting fluctuates as I develop new associations with the symbols. Where sometimes I see crass exploitation of the environment, at other times I feel sympathy for our need to inscribe tangible reminders of our life.

I hope these paintings are keys to our own and our collective thoughts and feelings.

Artist's Bio:
I work with acrylic on canvas and wood, as well as in color photography.

Current practice:
Small-scale renovation and restoration projects to Capitol Hill homes; Architectural Design and Drafting.