statement

My art celebrates the beauty of local food–farm to table–and raises awareness of what we eat, where it comes from and how it grows in its natural landscape.

I grew up in rural Northwest Ohio, where the seasons were defined by the landscape and the food served at my mother's table. I spent many summer days shucking corn, shelling peas and cleaning beans.  The harvest season meant canning and preserving vegetables, making jams and sauces.  These memories and the slow food experiences of my childhood inspire and inform my art. I seek to engage viewers in discovering and appreciating the beauty of these indigenous plants, which were an integral part of my experience.

The use of fluorescent color, metallic finishes and nylon flocking, transform my paintings into modern versions of the classical botanical print. My color choices, normally thought to be garish, honor the plants‚ power and energy by emanating a sense of light. My metallic finishes reflect light. The juxtaposition of these materials creates a surreal visual experience.  The overall effect is meant to excite and stimulate the senses through color, touch and the glimmer of the changing light.

bio

born: 1972, Chillicothe, Ohio

education:

Ohio Dominican University, Teaching Certification, 1998
Columbus College of Art and Design, BFA, 1994

selected awards/honors

People's Choice Award, Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, 2010
Community Arts Partnership Purchase Award, Greater Columbus Arts Council, Columbus, OH, 2010

selected publications

New American Paintings, No. 83, The Open Studios Press p. 60-63, 2009

selected solo or two-person exhibits

The Ohio Art League Gallery: Fluorescence, Columbus, Ohio, 2007

selected group shows

Ohio Arts Council's Riffe Gallery: Here and Beyond: Ohio Art Leagues 100th Anniversary Exhibition, Columbus, OH, 2009