Inspired by the complexity of human interaction with the world and with one another, I create paintings that evoke a sense of solitude and longing for inclusion and purpose. In my most recent mixed media paintings, I am frequently drawn to environments that are otherwise busy with people but are left deserted for one reason or another. Images of people occupying the same space but not interacting or having little connection with one another have also been capturing my attention. I am attracted to the oddness, awkwardness and sometimes loneliness these figures portray because of their lack of interaction or the obscurity of their actions.
I begin my process for creating a painting by shooting digital photos and then enlarging and altering them in Photoshop. I then print the photo on paper in several sections. I piece the papers together to reform the original image and adhere them to a panel. I apply acrylic paint over the photo to further alter the original image and to create a dialogue between photography and paint. For me, this dialogue speaks of reality vs. perceptions and one’s own impression of a moment or happening.