Artist Statement:

While a large part of my process is simply putting what makes me happy onto the canvas, there is much more thought that must go into the making of my pieces. The composition of the piece is the first step in my process. This is thinking about the overall layout of the different elements of the piece, thinking about how they all fit together to compliment or contrast each other. I also must think about the symbolism behind each element of the painting. If I choose to paint a dog, I need to think about all the different messages the viewer could take away from looking at the dog in connection with the rest of the painting. The colors in my pieces play a key role in this process as well. Certain colors evoke different emotions within us, these colors can either have universal or very personalized messages tied to them. I have to think about every emotion or message the viewer could get from the colors. I pay attention to every single mark made on the painting and how they could be interpreted.