Life, 2011 Painting

My love of story telling and my love of people has led me to a narrative style of painting. I paint what I am emotionally connected to, or thinking about at any given time. My thoughts and experiences of how we relate to each other are always in flux, as I believe that continual learning and childlike curiosity are essential in life. My paintings are about what it is like to be human. They are an interpretation of experiences, choices and moments. The moments I capture are not staged, they are snapshots of time. I always title my work first, which hints to the viewer what the image means to me, and gives me emotional clarity while I am making the work. Despite the narrative behind each work being clear while I am painting, it intentionally appears ambiguous to allow the audience to invest in the image based on their own personal experiences. Through this I hope to engage viewers' emotions and imagination, every reading of a work is equally true. It is important to me that light, colour and other formal elements all work together to create a narrative. I strive to be present in the moment of creation without being consumed by the running dialogue in my head. While I don't have a formulaic way of working, I do prefer to make smaller studies for larger work. This stems from my love of drawing, not just for practicing hand-eye coordination, but as a means of direct self expression. It is this constant wrestling with materials, their capabilities and my own capabilities that feeds my painting.