ARTIST STATEMENT

When I first faced the blank canvas, I had no idea where to begin. I dipped my brush into a color, made a mark and then repeated the process. It felt messy. I felt unsure.

And honestly, it turned out to be a giant mess.

But I kept going. And something interesting happened. Once I decided the painting was “ruined”, I became less cautious. I gave myself permission to experiment, trying out new colors and new techniques with wild abandon.

I completely let go.

By the end, I had unintentionally created a base of rich layers on the canvas - "mistakes"  that formed the foundation of the depth that you see in my work today.

I start my paintings in the same way - by building up layers randomly. Next I paint the negative space around an image, allowing much of the underpainting to show through,  because I believe those hidden layers are what bring richness and beauty to the final piece.

It occurred to me that painting is a lot like the journey of life. We begin facing the unknown, we experiment, and keep moving forward until a path reveals itself to us. It's the mistakes, the detours, and the courage to try new things that give life meaning and make it beautiful. 

My paintings are about celebrating the beauty of the journey. It’s about using what’s in front of us to create something unique and beautiful.