Artist Statement
Having been born and raised on the East coast, experiencing the desert for the first time was a life-changing experience for me. The shapes, textures, and colors of the region excited me, and it wasn’t long before landscapes became my primary subject matter after relocating to Las Vegas. At the time, I was feeling very stagnant in my creative practice, and this change brought with it a revival of passion for my art that I could not have attained without the desert guiding me. What started as curious explorations of local areas like Red Rock Canyon has grown to include areas as far as Death Valley and Zion. As a direct result of my explorations, I have developed a deeper appreciation of the land and an understanding of the importance of preserving such beautiful and wild places, which I hope to communicate through my work.
Impressions of Wild Places is a collection of acrylic paintings and oil pastel sketches that represent my time spent exploring the various desert regions over the last two years, spanning across Nevada, California, Utah, and Arizona. I seek to capture the overall impression and energy of the desert with quick and expressive brush strokes. Each piece was created within my studio, which allows me the time to intuitively reconstruct the landscape in such a way that the viewer can enjoy both the abstract marks when viewed up close as well as the bigger picture when viewed from afar.
As a painter, I am an observer by nature. I am particularly fascinated by the human eyes’ ability to construct a physical space or object out of abstraction; how scribbles of dull blue can become a sagebrush plant, or an amorphous blob of warm and cool greens can suddenly emerge as a tree. Mark making plays an important role in my work, and often bounces between representational and abstract, intuitive and intentional. I try to avoid painting exactly what I see and exaggerate the landscape's physical boundaries in order to suggest the essence of a location. Each piece becomes a visual puzzle, and I leave it up to the viewer to put the pieces together.
On exhibit at Windmill Library from July 23 through September 24, 2024.
Monday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Tuesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Wednesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Thursday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Friday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Saturday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Sunday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
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