Artist's Statement

My paintings involve vibrant things—water, plants, and people—in the magic of watercolor. This medium meshes rich colors and the flow of water to create a living entity that mingles and changes as it dries. Each painting is a conversation with time and intention. Art like this invites us to return, reconsider, and refresh.

What do I love about my subjects? Water is a life force that changes with conditions—the Charles River sparkling under a cerulean sky is vastly different from the dribble falling from a brass toad’s mouth in a New Orleans courtyard fountain. I love the surface tension of water, the myriad reflected colors, and the secrets it hides and reveals about its environment. Plants are engines of invention sprouting brilliant blossoms with their life bound up in chemical compounds, light exposures, and the will to live. People, as subjects, are challenging because their shapes and intentions presented in physical form can reveal deep connections to viewers. Shape, tone, and gesture must be observed carefully for all these subjects and then rendered intuitively. Abstract works, which can combine these features, are my sorbet, offering a tantalizing respite.

My new series—watercolor collages—draws on figures and abstracts. Using handprints or figures on painted paper, I combine free form color and bodies. The Skins series illustrates how we can imagine skin as a kaleidoscope of human experience. The Journey of Healing was exhibited in the Allen Center for Arts and Culture’s inaugural art show, The Art of Healing, in April.

Every day my brush is wet is a good day.