She renders her non-objective, colorfield paintings with luminous and vibrant colors. Depth and complexity are achieved by multiple layers of paint, varieties of texture and collage.
Artist StatementMy abstract paintings involve the development and transformation of an initial, fleeting image into a fully executed painting. I try to magnify some compelling aspect of life that, though depicted abstractly, is also familiar and memorable and at the same time mysterious. I employ the use of multiple layers and textures of acrylic paint, plus various elements like fabric, string, paper and found objects. In addition to acrylic paintings on canvas, I also do abstract paintings on paper using watercolor, gouache and acrylic paint, as well as monotypes on paper using oil-based inks. In all cases I want to convey a sense of movement, depth and change over time. Layers and textures are apt metaphors for human life experience, whether thinking of life as a chronology of events, layer upon layer, or any one event perceived in a variety of ways by different people.I began drawing and painting as a young child, though my career choice as a young adult took me seemingly far afield from the visual arts. I was a nurse in psychiatry for twenty years, which was conducive to the development of my ability to see and assess complex human behaviors – to look beyond surface presentation to deeper meanings. Painting is not so different. It involves communication and meaning; it addresses that which is apparent and on the surface vs. that which is more hidden and implied. As part of this process, I explore on canvas and on paper the interrelationship of color, texture, layering and the hieroglyphic-like images I use that speak to nature, to times ancient and to times preverbal.People are driven to understand the most unfathomable of issues – existence itself, how we make choices, how we may best give and express ourselves. Painting is my primary way to be deeply engaged in this search for meaning and expression.
Artist Statement
My abstract paintings involve the development and transformation of an initial, fleeting image into a fully executed painting. I try to magnify some compelling aspect of life that, though depicted abstractly, is also familiar and memorable and at the same time mysterious. I employ the use of multiple layers and textures of acrylic paint, plus various elements like fabric, string, paper and found objects. In addition to acrylic paintings on canvas, I also do abstract paintings on paper using watercolor, gouache and acrylic paint, as well as monotypes on paper using oil-based inks. In all cases I want to convey a sense of movement, depth and change over time. Layers and textures are apt metaphors for human life experience, whether thinking of life as a chronology of events, layer upon layer, or any one event perceived in a variety of ways by different people.
I began drawing and painting as a young child, though my career choice as a young adult took me seemingly far afield from the visual arts. I was a nurse in psychiatry for twenty years, which was conducive to the development of my ability to see and assess complex human behaviors – to look beyond surface presentation to deeper meanings. Painting is not so different. It involves communication and meaning; it addresses that which is apparent and on the surface vs. that which is more hidden and implied. As part of this process, I explore on canvas and on paper the interrelationship of color, texture, layering and the hieroglyphic-like images I use that speak to nature, to times ancient and to times preverbal.
People are driven to understand the most unfathomable of issues – existence itself, how we make choices, how we may best give and express ourselves. Painting is my primary way to be deeply engaged in this search for meaning and expression.
