I received my Bachelor of Arts from University of California, Santa Barbara. Upon graduating, I experimented with different materials to incorporate into my paintings. I used Bondo to create a heavily textured surface and would embed burlap, cardboard and other materials. I took classes to learn how to weld. At first I incorporated metal into the pieces, then the sheets of metal, doors, and windows became the canvas that I would create on. At University of California Davis, I enrolled in independent studies under faculty Cornelia Schulz and Conrad Atkinson. During this time the figure became dominate in the mixed media pieces and has become the focus in my paintings.
In 1999 I was inspired by a retrospective, THE ART OF JOAN BROWN at University of California Berkeley Art Museum and Oakland Museum of California. Her work reaffirmed me, that the figure as a subject matter has significance, even if the painting’s are about one’s life. My paintings are narrative, as to tell a story of an event that took place or to offer a intimate glimpse of the subject rendered. While the subject is in the forefront, the imagery explore divided surfaces of old buildings, patterns and foliage.
My current body of work continues with the same ideas. Except now the figures are anonymous. They could be someone you would encounter in one’s daily life. The tension created between the figures create questions as to what just happened between these figures or what story is about to unfold.