I have always liked making things but I didn't really know what it meant to be an artist until my early 20's. I had an amazing professor at the University of the Arts named Jeanne Jaffe. She interviewed me for the program and at the end of our interview, she said "you really want to be an artist," which was the first time I felt someone taking me seriously...[...]
I have come to terms with my inability to understand object permanence and welcome my awkward stages as learning curbs. I went from working vertically to working flat on the floor, paintbrush to ketchup bottles, finger paintings to airbrush, and finally the biggest jump in my opinion is working with reflective materials that distracts and pushes back the viewer... [...]
I always drew. When I was a child, drawing was motivated by escapism; it was a way of imagining and creating an illusion of new worlds, stories, and characters. As I began painting in my teenage years, I looked at the colors and shapes of the world we live in as a means of trying to be present within it. [...]
My work involves use of oil paint, acrylic paint, pastel, and unconventional materials on paper and canvas. It has changed over my life but I hope still invokes my desire to connect with people and my excitement of discovery...[...]
The objects I create are made of clay, paper, ink, sugar, metal, and fiber. I find fascination in the transformation of materials as they become metaphors for disruption caused by loss, travel, time and memory. Materials as they relate to history and my place within it are determined as I engage with imagery that represents my experience... [...]
My passion for art began when I was a sophomore in high school. I spent a significant amount of time drawing tattoos all over my body during class. I got in trouble for drawing on my body almost every day, but my photography and painting teachers viewed my love for drawing in a positive light... [...]
My love for art and design started at home and was cultivated by my mom. Her and I would do crafts together daily and she inspired me to draw, paint, and use the computer as a tool for art (yes Microsoft Paint). [...]
Art has always been a major part of my life. I remember flipping through my Mom’s huge coffee table books of impressionist paintings, and asking her to draw me ladies that I could later color in. [...]
My largest canvas and finest artistic expression – my own life – continues to be a work in progress. Moving to the Hudson Valley from New York City in 2015 added a thrilling new dimension to my life’s artistic adventure: a playground filled with beauty and the opportunity to express with pencils, ink, pastels, crayons and paint on various surfaces what cannot be expressed with words.[...]
I began making art as a photographer, using both large and medium format cameras. Immersive learning was critical to advancing not only my skills but also my daily practice and personal vision. [...]
