Artist's Statement

My paintings reflect experiences, feelings and thoughts from life’s events. For the most part, the ideas I work with are conundrums; the personal dilemmas, conflicts and issues shared by us all, such as confusion, vulnerability, loss and joy. My challenge, and enjoyment, is in expressing these quandaries in an unexpected way.

I am a figurative painter, using the figure as a conduit to develop a narrative that is both a literal story and a metaphor for exploration. One such painting is of Prudence, a young child; even her name, with its dual meaning of caution, is ironic. She is child-like in her costume, naïve to her surroundings, and vulnerable. But she is manipulated to create a visual metaphor. She appears ludicrous hidden under the shadows of a large military hat, theatrical white make-up and exaggerated red lips, but her innocence of life is precarious and her only protection is her magic wand.

I frequently use animals, costumes and other symbols to support the narrative of story and metaphor, often as representation of strength and innocence, such as with toys of play. Recently, I started working with birds as a metaphor; showing a nagging annoyance rather than a thing of beauty.

Ultimately, I aspire to fascinate with the unfamiliar. To express a shared thought or experience in an image that is intriguing, unique, and somewhat quirky.