Biography

ARTIST STATEMENT Art, Both liberating and rehabilitating-is for me, the most effective means of self-expression. The notion of achieving harmony with not only oneself, but also with the outside world, is the foundation of my work. Its inevitable that people will experience hardships and hurdles as they go through life; however the way you deal with and overcome those obstacles is what truly defines you as a person. Losing my father to cancer at a young age as well as traveling and meeting new people throughout the world has profoundly influenced me. I have learned that there are positive and negative energies in the universe. My heart has been broken, and spirits/emotions have been through highs and lows, but I have focused on being a positive person and the impact has been amazing. Experiences and people can really open your eyes if you let them. My overwhelming optimism has truly helped shape the person I am today. Art is what makes me feel free in my own head and the way to express personal serenity. Bright, bold colors are often used to express the positive energy I try to obtain. As my Art has matured, I’ve learned that sometimes more subdued colors can also be very peaceful. I consider myself fortunate having a passion for both painting on canvas and hand dying silk because they both allow me to express myself in different ways. Making something for the body allows me to work more freely by dying fabric and creatively sewing pieces together. Painting through replicating photographs of faces, animals, and scenes requires painstaking focus, while still contributing my own artistic flare, is also very tranquil for me. Lately, I have combined my two passions and found a third, painting on denim and leather jackets. This third medium of wearable art using a paintbrush, denim, and leather to create colorful detail, has been exhilarating. Regardless of what I am creating, it all has the same outcome, expressing the positive energy I feel in my soul.