Artist Statement

I am an oil painter whose practice extends into sculpture and creative writing mediums. I am inspired by fantastical creatures, storytelling and mythology. My paintings walk the line between surrealism and expressionism, even acting as non-traditional self-portraits. I use imagery of animals and fabled creatures to convey different kinds of emotional distress, including mental health. I often take elements of the natural environment in Oregon and twist them with a fantastical and ominous perspective. 

My current work is an expression of my experience with loss- the embodiment of expulsions of insurmountable grief. It’s a personification of the futile effort to be understood by myself and those that I no longer share a reality with. Painting and writing about my experience is an attempt to both understand and rage against the isolation and chaos that grief brings. Amidst that, my art becomes my progeny, confidant and victim.