Artist Statement

I spent my childhood surrounded by the rustle of aspen leaves, the smell of sagebrush, and the ripple of wind over wheat fields.  Growing up in Idaho gave me an appreciation for rivers, wilderness, gardens, and open sky. That early sense of sacredness and abundance still influences my work today.

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I first tried oil painting as a junior in high school.  I hated it.  I was quickly frustrated by the thick consistency of the paint, how long it took to dry, and how easily the colors got muddy.   Before long, however, I fell in love with the rich color and forgiving nature of oil paint. 

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I received my BA in visual art from Whitworth University in 2011. Whitworth challenged me to think, write, defend my work, and learn from critique. My time there allowed me to let go of early perfectionistic tendencies and open myself to a more expressive way of painting. 

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I paint partly to express ideas, but also to explore, learn, and contemplate what I do not know.  I appreciate the process of art making – rather than detailed planning of the image, I figure things out as I go and hope the painting will take on a life of its own.