_ _ _ My paintings are a reflection of my love of nature and treasured days spent gardening with my grandmothers as a young girl. In a world surrounded with conflict and cynicism, the garden became my solace. My art is an expression of my surroundings; an expression of joy and beauty that words cannot convey. Working in watercolor brings an unpredictable element to each piece. This free flowing media has a breathing beauty and a moving elusive quality that carries colors on their own path.
_ _ _ In my early years of schooling I was introduced to numerous artists; but one captured my inspiration with her huge inviting canvases and intensity of color. "To fill a space in a beautiful way", for me was one of Georgia O'Keefe's most profound statements. She rebuffed those who criticized her for not only her flower paintings, but also her credibility as a female artist. As a young female artist I strive to emulate O'Keefe in that my work is a visual reflection of what inspires me, not what is the current trend or statement.
_ _ _ My current series of florals are inspired through my love of nature and the emotion discovered in the vibrancy of color. For me flowers create an immediacy of feeling, a true and everlasting delight that can be viewed again and again without ever growing stale. Each is an extraordinary complexity of the richness of my palette and the intensity I am able to derive from it. I paint my flowers to embrace my viewers, that they may become only aware of the shapes and colors of each blossom and for one brief moment, increase their sense of joy and tranquillity.
_ _ _ I graduated with honors from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena California in 2000, earning my Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. Studying under David Limrite, Gayle Donahue and Aaron Thell Smith I developed my own unique style in my paintings. My work expresses what I like to call, a celebration of color and creativity found in the imaginative spirit of the heart.
I have received numerous awards and recognitions for my work. I was awarded a Department Chair's Scholarship to the Art Institute of Southern California in Laguna Beach, a scholarship to the young Artist Studio Program at Otis College of Design in Los Angeles, and was a three time recipient of the Disney Creativity Challenge Award.