Your art is called a “Symphony of Mixed Media.” What materials do you use the most, and how do they help you show emotions or tell a story?

I mostly use diverse handmade papers, sometimes fabric or threads & acrylic paint. The papers provide different textural qualities & an excellent way to layer with other papers or the paint. I had found some wonderful handmade vegetable papers that provide excellent textural qualities when collaged on. Combining certain colors and the papers allows me to connect the materials on the surface in a way to draw in the viewer and keep the eye moving around the plane. The connections are most important & they complete the story once realized. Purposeful color choices & which papers to use contribute to completing each story.

Your earlier works were larger and very colorful. How has your use of size, color, or design changed over time, and why?

In my earlier works I was using oil & tissue like papers and taking up the entire surface with the color. Over time I retreated to a more minimal white space stage in my work from the advice of an artist friend. Finding this produced some interesting imagery in the negative spaces I then wanted to incorporate more color again & found a happy medium landing place. I have always worked in various sizes but as time went on I really enjoyed the challenge of very small works. I still work in all sizes & on more than 1 piece at a time. What I learn from one work I can carry on parts of it to the next.

Are there certain ideas or stories that keep showing up in your work? What do you hope viewers feel or think about when they see them?

I don’t think there are certain stories that keep showing up but a common thread is in a reference to nature and what lives there & my appreciation for it. I hope the viewer will be drawn in by one aspect of the painting and then stay to search around for even more of a connection to the piece through the way the materials or colors make them feel. I want the view to feel happy & derive energy & a curiosity from the works, to start a conversation.

Your art has a lot of texture and depth. How do you use layers to make your work more detailed or emotional?

I love texture in the way it feels & looks. My works always start intuitively so I lay down the papers & colors as I go for whatever feels right. The painting pretty much guides me along. The layering provides the transparency, mystery & desire for the viewer to look further into the work to see what’s going on.

What feelings or thoughts do you want viewers to 

Happiness, energy, curiosity