Artist Statement

My work is raw, feminine, and natural. Like the Renaissance artists Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, I am fascinated by the idea that the human body is composed of harmonious proportions.  Humans are the ultimate art.  We think of art as something created by humans, but we must also think of ourselves as works of art.  Our proportions are reflected throughout the entire natural world, connecting and uniting us all in similar form.  The quest for a universal standard for human proportions is at the core of Leonardo’s and Michelangelo’s approach to understanding the beauty of the human body.  Unlike these masters, my work focuses on the inherent beauty of the nude female figure as opposed to the nude male.  My intention is to focus on the simplistic beauty of the physical presence of a woman and her organic curvaceous form.  I hope that upon seeing my work, my audience will be challenged to put aside their personal predjudices of the female nude and embrace the natural beauty of a woman. 

Printmaking and oil painting are my choice of media, both of which have very different qualities.  Printmaking is an exacting process that doesn’t leave room for mistakes, while oil painting is much more forgiving and expressive.   Loose, energetic brushstrokes and warm fleshy tones give life to my oil painting.  An important element of my prints is the use of line as a visual texture to create value and volume.  I use lines that conform to the body’s anatomy and provide information about its underlying structure.  I want my audience to be captivated by the three-dimensionality of my two-dimensional figures.    I intentionally closely crop my images so that the whole figure cannot be seen.  This draws attention to the beauty of specific parts of the body and increases the intimacy of the image.