What Are You Waiting For? (2024)
Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas
30 x 45 inches (tryptich)

For me, creating a painting is a little bit like a walk in the woods. I approach my art with a sense of adventure, using experimental techniques along with tried and true methods, but always hoping for a delightful discovery. A key component of my art is the use of tree silhouettes. These are based on trees I encounter on my walks. I make my own tree stencils and then use them to create multiple monoprints with a gel plate. Since I made my first tree silhouette stencil in 2021 my appreciation for the magnificent and varied shapes that branches create has grown. When I stop and look at the way a branch has grown it reminds me of human nature. We reach toward the light, but encounter obstacles and disease that affect our growth. We all face these obstacles, human and tree alike. We would never be annoyed with a tree for growing in a certain way, so why do we do that to ourselves and others? Witnessing and honoring the nature of trees has become a reminder to practice compassion with myself and others.

Bristlecone Blues (2023)
Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas
30 x 24 inches

Methuselah's Cousin (2024)
Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas
24 x 24 x 1.5 inches