ARTIST STATEMENT Although I have called Charleston home for many years, I am still attached to my roots in Connecticut. I have studied with numerous community artists as well as at The College of Charleston. Mentored and deeply influenced by William Halsey, I was encouraged to develop a free and creative statement, without fear of failure! Numerous courses at The Art Students League of New York have broadened my awareness and encouraged me to explore the multitude of approaches available to an expressive artist. I am open-minded, sensitive, kind and positive. I try to see the good in people and in life. I choose to consider challenges to be opportunities, and I enjoy the problem-solving process. I am spontaneous and embrace the unexpected. I am also easily bored with routine. I try to put fear aside and just go with the flow. I am emotional and empathetic. My paintings do not run away from the dark… Life is not always pretty and you don’t know when the sun is out unless you’ve seen the darkness. I rarely look back with regret. Nor do I look forward with expectations. I try to stay in the moment and make it the best it can be. Most importantly, I love learning. Integrating new information builds a different puzzle, a new concept for me to understand. My images are filled with shapes and intersecting lines. They are present in some way throughout my work and have become the language with which I express myself. Contrast and juxtaposition excite me and bring energy to the piece. I believe that it is this energy that engages the viewer and prompts the connection with the painting. When I paint abstractly, it is spontaneous and intuitive. I do not adhere to arbitrary rules or boundaries that limit my options. Although I still enjoy gestural figure drawing and painting, the majority of my work is abstract. The process of expressing my inner thoughts abstractly is joyous. During this process, I often feel the softening of my grip against the brush. I would have thought that giving up some of my control would make me uncomfortable. On the contrary, accepting my vulnerability and losing my fear, fills me with a sense of calm. I believe that this transition releases a spark of energy that propels the painting forward. I am now aware that I have a partner - the evolving painting has joined me, and with a dynamic dialogue, we will navigate the challenge of our journey. Together, we will tell our story. I also feel that it is this unfiltered and totally honest expression that engages the observer, and gives them the courage to personally connect with the painting. They are now comfortable seeing the painting through their own eyes and from their own perspective. The painting is now complete.