Artist Statement

Awed by the beatitude in the world around me, my art, although grand in scale, captures small, glorious moments, and enlarges them as a homage to their magnificence. My oil paintings reflect a personal reverence that I have experienced in my travels to places like Costa Rica, northern California, coastal Maine and the mountains and shores of the great state of North Carolina.

Striking contrasts in spacial relations and bold vibrant colors create an energy. When these polarities meet, the beauty in nature’s perfect symmetry evokes wonder, which often results in a series of paintings. 

Although my subject matter has historically been “nature,” my work is evolving. Recently, compelled by a vivid dream in response to the tragic tsunami which hit Japan in late 2011, I completed my first large-scale mixed media piece. This work, titled Tsunami, is intended for the public as well as to raise money for victims of the natural disaster. It represents images of victims and the horror of the event. My hope is that the expressive, raw emotion demonstrates that beauty and tragedy coexist in nature – even in natural disasters – and that in this acknowledgement the viewer is disarmed, to find comfort and peace.

I live in Raleigh, North Carolina with my husband and our two children. My painting studio, located in Boylan Heights, is a warehouse shared with fellow artists Jason Craighead, Dave Green, Andre Leon Gray, Claire Ashby and Patrick Shanahan. I am also the owner of Crazy Combs Salon in downtown Raleigh, located in a historical house (built in 1910) which doubles as a gallery, exhibiting works of local artists including myself. We proudly support our community and participate in Raleigh’s First Friday Art Walk.