Artist Statement

I figure that art is all about transformation, creating something from nothing, and revealing what is hidden or forgotten.

A lot of the artwork I've made shows young girls having adventures. In part, it's my response to Disney-Princess and Barbie-like elements, which hang corrosively in the skies of young girls’ lives like thick, fluffy pink sparkly smog. Present instead are their own peculiarities, insights and adaptability.

Not all the characters are what they seem to be at first glance. The worlds they move through may be fantastic and beautiful, but unpredictability, duplicity and cruelty are interwoven throughout. These figures are all in the midst of tapping a deeper source within upon discovering that “trusting in themselves, believing in their dreams, and following their stars” are woefully not enough.

Having learned to make art by absorbing storybooks (by Seuss, Silverstein, Gorey, Peet, Wyeth...), my artwork looks mostly like illustration and is often brightly colored. Some noticeable patterns have been joy despite loss of innocence, embracing entropy and chaos, and the endless quagmire of adventure. Usually, the stories don't become fully apparent until after the last of the paint dries.