Revolving Silhouette Inside a Buttercup Sundrop

Often I am asked how I begin a painting and this changes greatly from piece to piece. The beginning is always uneasy, unsure, and exciting. Sometimes my work begins with splashes of watery paint where other times it is inspired by a specific image or system. Either way I begin, balancing intuitive and analytical processes is important in all stages of my painting process. This piece was inspired in part by remnants of a traveling carnival ride. It was exciting to imagine the underbelly and architecture of a form that is usually covered with colored lights and vivid colors. During painting process the original silhouette shifts and changes through automatic drawing and the form becomes something else altogether. In my work, I try to blend a variety of systems, as this is the main concept that motivates it. Buttercup flowers are poisonous when eaten by livestock fresh and however when buttercups dry the flower is not as potent. The vivid color yellow is nature’s way of indicating poison. It is interesting how this potency changes when the flower dries and the color fades. Buttercups were also the flower that bloomed all around my parent’s house on my wedding day so I have a strong personal connection.

I had a conversation with an art gallery patron about an artist’s work who I greatly admire. The patron told me they did not like yellow and therefore they did not like the piece this artist created. The patron walked over to another piece and exclaimed; “Now this piece I like!” This struck me as really odd and I remember thinking that ‘yellow’ is strange a reason not to like something. Both pieces were strong visually but still managed speak in a unique way. Perhaps the bias in this conversation is that in being a painter myself I have a certain intimacy with all colors. Engaging in a work of art is a very personal thing and I too am very particular. This conversation stuck with me and I have wanted to make a yellow piece ever since this time. I wonder if there is any sort of parallel in natural systems of color and human reaction to color. Regardless, I am in LOVE with yellow and plan to use it again.

My First Studio

Check out my lunch cooler stocked with goodies for a long painting session and the extension cords wrapped around the stair.  I wrapped these all around the room just so I could listen to my own music.

Reynolds Building- first studio

These are photos of my first studio which was essentially a stairway inside of my college painting class.   I could paint standing on two steps or try my balance with one.  I loved it because it was all mine for a few semesters and I could paint by myself while class was going on.  It was sort of a storage locker but I was thrilled to have a place to keep all my supplies.  I still wear the shoes I was wearing in this photograph almost 12 years later---YIKES!  There were a couple of years where I wore other pairs so I did not wear this pair continually but that is a long time to have a pair of shoes.       

early art experiences

This is a little house that I was painting for my stuffed animals in my parents kitchen. My parents encouraged me from a young age by supplying me with lots of art supplies. I remember that poster paint was a lot of fun because all of the jars were connected. All of the newspaper is neatly aligned on the kitchen table and my smock is barley covered in paint. Today, I consider myself a organized 'neat' painter and my paint-slop is still confined to newspaper squares.