My Bio & Artist Statement

I paint the rough edges of life: the lives of people in crisis, people experiencing chaos, people who, in general, don't know how to keep going. My work reflects the wear and tear that these interactions can take on us,from carrying other people's baggage to taking them on at some of the most out of control moments of their lives. I'm not only a painter; as a psychiatric nurse, I'm sharing the patients' suffering and sorrow as well as the joy and triumph of growth. Additionally, my own mental health challenges bleed into my work.

I am a self-taught artist who has been painting for almost 30 years. I paint for no other reason than I have to. I have this ingrained need to create in order to problem-solve my way through this world. My work is unrefined but honest.

I started painting in college and quickly discovered that it gave me something I didn't realize I needed. I couldn't describe it then, but I now know that I love making something that didn't exist before. I have strived to make my art distinct, something that you always identify as mine, my voice, unlike anyone else's. I do it almost every day, and I am driven to refine my style and improve my work.

My day job has always involved working with those in need. Before I became a nurse, I was a social worker for at-risk youth, so I have always been in the service field, trying to improve the quality of life of others. Early on, I realized I had a lot of compassion for others, and that I wanted to work to make the world a better place. These roles in society are underappreciated, pay poorly, and have very high burnout rates. The work can be violent, bloody, and gritty. I have been in a riot, had my life threatened with weapons, and been bitten and assaulted. Yet every day, I get back up and put myself in these places because there is a need. I'm not bitter. I feel blessed because I still feel like I get to do some good and touch people's lives.

Dealing with human beings whose lives are crumbling and who have experienced such tragedies that haunt them has become a theme in my work. I wouldn't wish what I have seen these folks experience on my worst enemy. I think that it's only natural that it shows up in my work. I'm narrating this world. I am telling other people's stories, and my interaction with their lives. My work doesn't only focus on the pain of life, but also the joy. There are days where the joy and victory are so damn overwhelming it feels like I'm going to implode. Whenever I start talking with a person, and they begin to share the jagged edges of themselves with me, I start to see images in my head. These stories are where I start, and then the piece tells me what it needs. For me, there is a definite conversation with each painting.