Love Is A Battlefield Artwork

I am a mixed media artist living and working in Upstate New York who has been feverishly and obsessively creating since my magical return to art making. Through my re-awakening and re-membering I combine my dreamy like, intuitive, soulful and child like nature with a raw and wild primal expression. I see color as a healing force and creativity as my playground. All of this aids in the expansion of energy and life force that is sure to turn any home into feeling alive and vibrant. ARTIST STATEMENT In my artistic practice, I employ an automatic, experimental and intuitive process that allows me to delve into the depths of my creativity. Each brushstroke, collage element, or mixed media technique becomes a conduit for self-expression. My artwork serves as a reflection of the intricate interplay between my internal emotional landscapes and the world around me. Color plays an essential role in my art and I don't shy away from chromatic color. I often like to push the boundary of what may be considered appropriate and lead the viewer out of their comfort zones. I find pleasure in the dynamic interaction between contrasting elements, and the infusion of color amplifies the emotional depth and expressive path that the artwork naturally follows. Besides using acrylic paint as the predominant medium, I am also called to include other mixed media elements. I incorporate collage using old book pages and painted papers, as well as, crayon, pastels, and graphite. Another technique that I use often involves scraping into and through the surface of the work in order to achieve a drawing like quality and reveal what may have been hidden below the layers. I am interested in exploring the kinetic, energetic and visceral experience and reflecting that back to the viewer. There is an interplay between the spiritual and internal pursuits of myself as the artist and a desire to open to the primal power that moves through us all. Whether it be juxtaposing colors, the way I rip through a layer of paper to reveal a hidden element, or the way I decide to erratically draw over the surface, the work challenges me to move inward and outward in all directions, to use my body and trust myself to articulate what wants to move through me. By daring to leave it all on the surface my own vulnerability allows the viewer to be vulnerable themselves and delve into a deep introspection.