Drawing and working with different textures is my favorite approach to creating art. As a young teen, I loved nothing more than going to a fabric store to study all the patterns, colors and textures, and then figuring how to combine them. Working with colors and collage materials in watermedia is very similar to that experience.
When viewers observe my paintings, it is an invitation to discover additional elements they may have overlooked at first glance. This symbolizes taking a deeper look inside oneself. There are so many layers to each of us, many of which we don’t recognize or don’t want to accept. I want my paintings to remind people that beauty exists not only on the surface but also in the deep dark places.
Working as an artist is very similar to the work I do as a psychotherapist. I must remain present in both situations and follow along with what’s happening in the moment. I may have an idea about which way to go but often a client or a painting will end up in a completely different place than I had anticipated. And it’s always a better place than I had imagined.