Birds of Paradise with Queens Tears Print

In my work I seek to create a strong sense of place and person, based on my perceptual memories, how I experience nature and my immediate surroundings. I live in Ojai, California a very beautiful small valley surrounded by tall mountains about 10 miles from the Pacific ocean.These mountains, trees, chaparral, cactus and sky vary from lush to arid and are a continuous source of inspiration. I also do some dance and am fascinated by the figure, its shapes and how it relates to nature and architecture. I usually generate ideas by drawing and painting studies in a very intuitive way from memory . I then go into a second phase of commitment to a composition by creating stencil shapes from my drawings, Next, I use rollers filled with color to apply the paint. I enjoy seeing the crisp decisive edge, housing the subtle texture of the rolled on paint and the somewhat flattened print-like effect that ensues. This challenging process forces me to simplify and think more like a printmaker, with the emphasis on line, movement and color. I hold a MFA in Painting from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Painting and Sculpture from UC Santa Cruz.