Born in the small town of Maumee, Ohio, I spent the first part of my life in the Midwest. I studied art and education at the University of Toledo's Center for Visual Arts at the Toledo Art Museum campus. After three years as a full time art teacher, I was desperate for more landscape and more studio time. I moved out to Colorado over a decade ago to pursue a Masters Degree in Art and have called Denver home ever since. I currently reside and paint in the Berkeley neighborhood in northwest Denver and take frequent trips to the mountains with my two little boys for artistic inspiration.
My work explores the concept of memory and space. I create paintings that are based on spaces, moments, ideas, and memories in my life. A whole life of layered moments captured in specific places have created this unique story that we each have to tell. These memories of place connect our past with our present and help write our future stories. My paintings are ultimately a visual journal of the spaces that have shaped my life experiences. Simplicity is my guiding philosophy when creating art. By making visual imagery that is non-specific in detail but ubiquitous in content, I believe that my illustrated memories captured on canvas often invoke a familiar sense of place that resonates with my viewers. This emotional connection and personal attachment is what connects us to visual art... both the maker and the viewer. Similar to how certain songs can transport you back to a specific time and place in your life, so too can visual imagery. My love of landscape and the environment is also very prevalent in my work. I explore the concept of preservation of natural spaces in my work. I hope to bring attention and awareness to the degradation of our precious and fragile environment through my artwork.
