The thing that attracts me more than anything is to try to represent something more than what meets the eye — what makes that person so interesting. A little humor, emotion, movement, how they talk, move the head, mouth, and features. Do the eyes talk to you…Sometimes when I paint a model I get them to play as I talk about my plans for a narrative in the painting. Things often happen as the painting continues, the expressive movement of the hand, movement of the head or shoulders in a more interesting way, and changes occur during the painting process. The painting demands changes, sometimes it sits on the easel for weeks before I want to continue.
As an adult I grew to love art: looking at it, learning about it, and then becoming consumed by it, so much so that I learned how to draw and paint so that I could make figurative paintings. In my work, I think about humanity, emotion, and the depth of human experience. What is it about that person or about myself that I want to bring into the painting? What story do I want to tell?
I need to create images of females who are strong, in situations that show them grappling with events and issues critical to their lives. Of course, women live their lives with men and I see many ways to express those relationships. I cannot think like a man — only as a woman in relationships with men.
I use bold color as an expressive approach to increase the power of the piece and to represent a spiritual dimension. Seeing, interpreting, and pushing color, I use multiple light sources to enhance the emotional impact.
I demand an element of mystery in my paintings. I want the viewer to look at the painting and bring their interpretation, feelings, and experiences to the work. It is not enough to show what moves me but to bring interpretations from viewers to the experience. A painting can have many meanings.