Artist Statement

I work mostly in watercolor, and frankly I’m surprised that I enjoy it because originally I was put off by the medium (where’s the Undo button?). But I don’t know, after a long while I thought it might be fun to play around a little bit, and I liked it more than I remembered.  And with more time and more experimentation I started to see some things that encouraged me to continue. Now I’m hooked.

Ideally, on a good day, my paintings will suggest a story. Nothing too descriptive or elaborate, but more of a story kernel that lets the viewer play with it in their own mind and maybe find some connection. My two big subject matter categories are (1) fleeting ‘slice of life’ moments from my day-to-day world here in the DC area (I loathe the term “the DMV”), and (2) and scenes from travel.  I’m happiest when these travel pieces transform the memory into a visual dream.

Artistically, I’ve always needed (and found) one outlet or another and enjoyed drawing while growing up in Northern Virginia in the 80s and 90s. For several years I mostly scratched my creative itch performing improv comedy, but I’m thrilled to have pivoted back to the visual arts. I will say that improv and watercolor both share this nature that they work best when you let go and stop trying to control the scene—you can only try to react.

I’m a member of the Arlington Artists Alliance and Falls Church Arts group, and my work has been displayed in various venues around town here and there. More to come!