West German Summer Painting

Born in New Orleans, I grew up moving from place to place across the south-central United States. My early work was heavily influenced by Dada and Surrealism, but eventually this gave way to a more light-hearted, illustrative style. I became interested in how the image of an object can affect the mood of the viewer, so many of my paintings from this phase were object-based. My work has often been inspired by contradictions. The contradiction between the illusion of soul and the science of anatomy. The interplay of nihilism and optimism, wisdom and naiveté. Watercolor is the ideal medium to illustrate the heaviness of negative space. I also like to experiment with different ways to add texture to my work, sometimes using charcoal or ink, often focusing on contradictions between trompe l'oeil and geometric shapes. After I moved to Germany, I became inspired by the scenes of windmills against backdrops of ever-changing skies. I began to shift my focus toward the harmonious interplay between contradictions, like these man-made windmills amidst a natural landscape. I lived in Germany for three years, and in this time I was greatly inspired by fresh air, big skies, and beautiful wind turbines. I'm an adventurer and an idealist. I love taking my plein air painting kit with me on my travels and using water from the local body of water to paint. I've painted using lake water from the arctic summer in Kiruna, Sweden and sea water from Crete, Greece. I love celebrating human creations in my art, and I dream that my works might inspire even more creativity.