Artist Statement

I look at plant life on a daily basis.  With interest in the design found in nature, I explore the architecture of plant detail from simple parts of the flower such as petals to complex inner flower anatomy.  Through the study and admiration of artist’s work such as those of Edward Weston and Georgia O’Keeffe, I have been influenced to pay close attention to forms and the composition in which natural forms are arranged.  When I am painting, I like to keep fresh blossoms nearby and will pick up the flower, feeling it occasionally, taking a quick break from my panting to appreciate the subject. As I hold this special bloom I pay close attention to the way it feels and allow those textures to impact the way I hold my brush and create similar textures from brush strokes within the painting.

My paintings highlight and magnify the details and textures of flowers that we interact so closely with every day, but often do not have the time to appreciate. I find it important to display things commonly overlooked in a way that exposes the viewer to the remarkable textures and contours found in flowers. By bringing plant species into a studio setting usually reserved for portraits, their importance and significance become elevated. My paintings are an attempt to bring details of nature to the viewer. Although based upon pistil and stamen details, a viewer may feel confused or evoked by the painting, perhaps not knowing exactly what they are looking at.  My hope for the work is that the audience will determine whether the painted form they are looking at is a representation of a flower or rather a reflection of their own imagination and fantasies.