Below the surface of our everyday lives, there exists an interwoven tapestry that links everything together. Disparate items, even of vastly different scales, can have forms or processes that resemble each other. In an effort to reveal an unseen world where distinct objects and concepts merge into one, I combine imagery from diverse sources so that connections are no longer abstract, but concrete and visualized. Similar to the synectics movement of the 1960's, which attempted to produce new ideas or solutions by the creative blending of dissimilar objects, my paintings create new worlds through synthesis. Like the fusion of ingredients that occurs when food is cooked, the elements in my paintings simmer together until they form their unique blend.
The major genres of paintings, portrait, landscape, and still life are traditionally distinct groups with established boundaries. In Prague, 500 years ago, Giuseppe Arcimboldo shattered one of these divisions when he made portraits of the Hapsburg court by combining an overabundance of flowers, fruits, and animals. More recently, authors such as Frank Baum and Roald Dahl have invented edible worlds to delight their youthful readers. While the scenes they describe often appeal to a child's sweet tooth, adults also have an appetite for savory fantasies.
While enjoying all that the earth has to offer, it is important to remember how humans rely on the ecosystems of the planet to survive. The land and the fruits that it produces are equally essential to human life. By blurring the line between landscapes and still lives, I hope to inspire the viewer to contemplate the relationships between land, plants and humans.
From the intersection of my palate and my palette, my paintings combine memories from several different senses. Combining many objects, tastes and memories, a painting never resembles one single place or reality, but rather a whimsical fantasy world. Oil paint is an appropriate media choice because it facilitates the blending of colors and ideas. In addition, the fluid consistency has a pleasant texture that works to lubricate the interaction between the artist and her canvas so that the inspiration and strokes flow freely.
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