Artist Statement

My work has a minimalist style that reflects both the natural environment and my drive toward abstraction. It is a fusion of Asian-influenced Sumi-e style and encaustic paintings, lately on fresco substrate. I often incorporate handmade, delicate Chinese or Japanese papers with inks in the wax and oil.

I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, but living in Maine during many summers and studying Asian brush painting there with Master Sumi-e artist Frederica Marshall has proven to be the strongest influence on my work. John Marin, whose work I also greatly admire, once lived on the same Maine island, Deer Isle.

I paint because I am compelled to do so by the places that I see and my reaction to them.  My interest in the environment, especially where we live in Rhode Island, led to my graduate research at Brown University on the effect of water contamination events on children and their communities. I have been fortunate to have been a student of two disciplines, science and art.

Now as a full-time artist, I am dedicated to growing my artistic presence and making art a force for insight and liberation. I strive to empower those who seek freedom of thought and a fresh perspective on the world.