statement

In my art-making process, the portrayal of relationships symbolically through the interplay of objects in still lives or through figural work has been a priority. I have found that traditional representation has, thus far, best suited me in my exploration of this topic, and my imagery references both classical and contemporary symbolism and iconography. While my paintings are singular to my own experiences, it is my hope that they also have a universality to them, wherein the viewer is able to relate his or her own relationships to the portrayals, making the act of viewing the painting an experience in its own right. As such, this body of work serves as an exploration of the human condition, that irreducible part of humanity that connects all of us.  We all inherently have a propensity for the search for purpose, a sense of curiosity, a desire to be loved and to give love, an acute acknowledgement of the inevitability of isolation, and a fear of death.

Thus far, the paintings have served as a personal means of documentation, wherein composition and symbolism are used as a vehicle to create a pictorial representation of my "story." I also look to comment on the contradiction between creating realistic imagery and portraying emotional rawness, as well as the uncompromised truth in the imagery versus the symbolic ambiguity.  Each work is painted photorealistically, so instinctively there is an emphasis on technique.  While I acknowledge that at first blush the thing that jumps out to the viewer is the how the painting is painted, the emphasis for me is to portray a sort of emotionality through the use of symbolism.  This current body of work contains references to classical symbolism, such as the egg being a symbol of fertility and the monarch being characterized symbolically as the carrier of the soul. However, personally symbolic objects also appear, such as a pear, which represents my presence in a work.

Through my artwork, I've attempted to explore human interaction on an intensely individual level primarily through the creation of still life and figural scenes that include objects that are personally symbolic.  At the same time, it is my intention, in a number of my paintings, to reconcile these personal thoughts and reactions, either directly or indirectly, with the universality of the human condition.

bio

born: 1978, Springfield, Illinois

education

University of Illinois--Springfield, MPH, 2003

University of Illinois--Springfield, BS, 2001

selected awards/honors

Realism Award, Water Tower Regional Juried Exhibit, Louisville, Kentucky, 2010

OSF Hospital Painting Award, 64 Arts National Juried Exhibit, 2009

selected solo or two-person exhibits

Sacrosanct: A Collaborative Soul Signature, Springfield Art Association, Springfield, Illinois, 2013

The Middle, Coalition Gallery, Chicago Artist Coalition, Chicago, Illinois, 2012

Buried Fable, Lincoln Land Community College, Springfield, Illinois, 2011

Beyond the Tale, Contemporary Art Center, Peoria, Illinois, 2010

selected group shows

Quarterly Site #9: Support, Coalition Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, 2012

15th International Open, Juried International Exhibit, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, 2012

SO REAL, Governor's State University, University Park, Illinois, 2012