APRIL Painting

I create large contemporary abstract paintings from my studio in Los Angeles. I also collaborate with Skid Row based mosaic arts nonprofit Piece by Piece to produce large combination painting/mosaic artworks. Self-taught, I respond to the moment with an openness to change, a variety of mediums, nuanced marks and expanses of color. Through a fairly experimental process a textured, layered and edgy urban abstract composition often comes through. Organic shapes and "free-flowing" movement are sometimes accompanied by bold graphical lines and forms. I paint because it's the best way for me to connect with the universal creative energy that's in and around all of us, all the time. When we're able to really click with it, whether through our jobs, hobbies, our family roles, work in our communities, or even when we're just alone . . . I describe it as a feeling of "energized calm with inspired momentum." It's like riding a wave or a jet stream . . . it's way bigger than an individual and can invoke deep feelings of gratitude. For me, it's a peek into what's possible . . . the joy of oneness, the excitement of creating and the potential for that energy to inspire us as we evolve. Marks are made on the canvas because of "knowing" what to do, not "deciding", so when an art piece appears out of this synergy, I'm excited not by what I've created, but by what that partnership has created. For me, painting is a fascinating place of relief, renewal, magic and surprise - it's a very hopeful place, full of the possibilities of each moment. Paintings have been collected and placed globally by individuals, designers, art consultants, public art agencies, architects and developers. Professional affiliation: Artist member, Los Angeles Art Association, 2015-2020.