I became interested in art as a result of wanting to pursue fashion design. After studying the figure I realized I was more interested with the people wearing the clothes then the design itself. Painting became a means to give a personality to the people. They became more than just mannequins.
I am interested in how people represent themselves with their wardrobe. Daily clothes become costumes for the day, a suggestion of who someone is. I develop the figure and composition of my work by focusing on the thoughts behind the subject. I think mood is a critical element of any environment. People are good at hiding what they feel good or bad and I think that someone’s disposition can alter an environment. I like to do this with my work. I place the persons temperament into the background.
With each painting, I enable the viewer to see not just the figure alone, but to understand that figure as it relates to the composition.
I use mixed media and color to merge subject and personality. The layers of paraphernalia and color reveal the personality and emotion of the subject. To achieve this effect, I place notes, receipts, words, pay stubs, and labels into the background.
Each series that I paint is a different story. Some are inspired by people I have encountered or with whom I have become close; others develop from something residing inside me. I keep the same central idea in each series. My work is a statement on the contradictory nature of woman: the honest, ugly thoughts that beautiful people have; the happy tragedy that someone might be forced to live in; and the visually secure person whose world is fading.
