I am concerned with creating presence, making work about people, objects and ideas that are felt but not always seen in this world. I share my young students’ enthusiasm and love of color. I hope to transmit their spirit and freshness into my work. Whether figurative or abstract, at its core, my work is narrative.

Collaboration is vital for the growth of artists and thinkers. Collaboration is a cornerstone of my teaching practice as well as my personal art practice. Borrowing a color palette from the elementary art rooms where I teach, my work is bright and playful. Underlying the use of playful colors and simple materials is a serious investigation of imbalance – a result of the human impulse to dominate each other and our environments, especially the natural world, while simultaneously being driven to create a better more peaceful, loving and sustainable existence.

The use of simple forms, bright colors and text allows the viewer to approach my work with confidence and security. As a teaching artist I use humor and playfulness to push my students. In the same way I hope my art gently coaxes the viewer in. Once they have arrived, if willing, the work asks viewers to think, to participate, to reconsider, and to take pleasure in exploring the various layers for understanding.