artist statement

The flow of energy that I feel from interacting with beauty is what I strive to show in my art. I want my audience to experience a connection with an environment or emotion while enjoying the playful and careful rendering of details in an image.

My style is generally representational and illustrative, but at the same time expressive and evocative. I especially love the interaction between spontaneous, accidental mark-making with meticulous illustration. Drawing on top of paintings, painting onto collage surfaces or other forms of mixed media create a powerful engagement for me in the process of responding to my intuitive work.

The marine life and underwater paintings I have made come from my love of nature and my explorations as a scuba diver. I want to share the aesthetic appeal of being underwater, the effects of light, the softness of colours and the strange sensation of being suspended in liquid. Similarly, my landscape paintings convey the magical quiet of a wild place that is undisturbed by people. Nature gives me the special gift of being fully present and connected with all my senses.

Circus characters and clowns in my most recent work express the playful feeling of excitement I've experienced when watching my circus friends perform. I also enjoy participating myself as an amateur clown and firespinner. I feel a strong connection to people who are bringing out their personal best. I also feel this connection when I'm working on a portrait, framing a photograph in my viewfinder, watching the light flicker through the water onto a pulsing jellyfish, or responding to vivid colours as I paint or draw. I make art about the things I love most.