Making contemporary figurative art is how I make sense of the world, resolve conflicts within myself and with others. Although I started painting in oils, I later found that acrylic and mixed media offered me multiple layers and effects that were so much fun. I was able to let loose in the early layers of the underpainting to give the figures a real sense of emotion in place. I know a painting is finished when I find myself engaged in eye contact with a figure and a conversation begins. If I really pause and “listen”, sit with the figure, I can come away with a new perspective or sometimes a sense of calm abiding through an invitation to accept what is.

When I started to show my work, I realized that others would either resonate with the stories or find their own stories in my work. So now I relentlessly paint not just for my own need for clarity and compassion, but also to help connect with others, so they can find their own stories, their own sense of peace.