A painter and printmaker, I rely on direct observation, memory, and photographic references to create intimately scaled landscapes and cloudscapes. The natural world serves as an endless source of inspiration and wonder. As an urban dweller, I find nature where I can in the patches of blue sky between tall buildings and the twisting tree branches in city parks. I often leave the city to revisit familiar landscapes or to discover new ones. Back in my studio, I use oil paint to distill the essential elements – the shapes, lines, colors, and textures of the landscape that I find most striking. In the words of American author and naturalist Terry Tempest Williams: “The landscapes we know and return to become places of solace. We are drawn to them because of the stories they tell, because of the memories they hold, or simply because of the sheer beauty that calls us back again and again.”
In 2015, I began incorporating monotypes into my studio practice after attending a class at the Robert Blackburn Print Workshop in NYC. To create a monotype, known as “the painterly print,” I use a brayer to roll thick etching ink over a Plexiglas plate. Next, I use old stiffened paint brushes, q-tips, cheesecloth, or tarlatan to create textures and remove areas of ink. When I am satisfied with my image, I lay dampened paper over the inked plate and roll it through an etching press. The end result is a unique print. While my oil paintings remain true to more traditional painting techniques, I have found a freedom in monotypes that allow for more playful and experimental mark making.