Artist's Statement

My paintings are my diaries—they take you on a journey of my life. Through painting, I have found a way to communicate that which would have otherwise been impossible for me to express.

My work is cathartic—it documents my experience of many highs and many lows—from a glorious visit to Cuba and suffering through an eating disorder, to the impact of losing my father and working in the fashion business.

I am interested in painting the truth and the truth is often the ugly side of life. Although I am quite fascinated by beauty, I find that beauty is rarely honest.

I work in an intentionally imperfect and raw manner—mediums such as oil stick, oil paint (the older and crustier the better), nail polish and pencil—and I am inspired by the beautiful truth that comes from painting in a childlike manner. I then like to incorporate everyday household objects such as brillo-pads, nails, glass, fur and Band-Aids into my pieces. I work with objects that normally don't receive any attention for their beauty.

Painting on discarded objects and furniture that I find on the street fascinates me. Why were these objects not wanted? Can I possibly find a new purpose for them? I transform other people's refuse (canvases, furniture, mirrors, etc.) into my own new canvases. Other times I will stretch a canvas "freestyle" using stakes that I have found in the woods. It is important to me that both my canvases and my frames have character and a unique patina. I consider both the canvases and the frames to be an integral part of my work.

My titles are essential to my creativity and ground me with a very specific purpose in each piece. I paint from the title. I paint about the title. The title is always the first thing I concentrate on when I begin to work and it is through the title that I find the strength to paint the image.