Atmoshperic River
California receives rain in the form of "atmospheric rivers". They are decidedly different than the Nor'Easters, Tropical Storms, and Hurricanes that I have experienced elsewhere. The precipitation really does feel river-like, in that it surrounds and permeates so thoroughly. In my attempt to produce something constructive, and because I have always loved playing with water, I placed pieces of paper outside briefly and allowed the rain to determine the water pattern. I then brought the paper into the studio and dripped watercolor on it, allowing the paint to follow the waters forms. These Atmospheric River paintings are the result. They are reminiscent of looking up at leaves in the trees. It is so fascinating how incorporating one natural process constructs images that are reminiscent of another.
Droplets
The Droplets series is a reflection two concurrent epidemics in America. First, SARS CoV-19; as someone with a complicated immune response to illness, my life has been drastically altered by the presence of these droplets. The Droplets series is simultaneously a reflection on gun violence and blood splatter, a concurrent epidemic. These paintings are created through splatter and drips; no direct contact is made with the paper. Salt is shaken on post-paint application which initiates a hydrophobic and hydrophilic process with the water and paint. An expanded reflection on this series can be found here.(May 2023 - Present) |
What lies beneath
This series of salt paintings presents possibility. They are kinetic Payne's Grey colored abstractions full of movement, coalesced from the gestural words and sketched imagery that comprise their foundations. This hidden way of working points towards the broader themes of concealment and display, obfuscation and pandering that are prevalent in our culture at large, and in ourselves. These paintings invite the viewer to pause, in the stillpoint, amist motion, and have a moment of honest, considered reflection. (winter 2022 - Present) |
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By The Book
By the Book is a collaboration with my father. He meticulously constructs sketchbooks which I then fill with a variety of styles. Some books contain only one technique and others encompass a sampling. By the Book refers to our collective biblical study and alignment with that belief system.
Prayers For Friends and Strangers
A friend was having a life-changing surgery and I was anxious about it. At the time I was deep in theological study and did not have a daily studio practice. But I was stressed and so fell into my most soothing practices: paint & prayer. The printed brushstrokes provided a thought-ordering rhythm for my hopes and prayers, way of direction. I have since printed this pattern onto a variety of surfaces and live with it daily. (August 2020 - Present)
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TouchPoint
This series started on a Zoom call with a precocious three-year-old. We were painting together and she was asking lots of questions, which meant that my focused attention needed to be directed at her and not necessarily at the painting. What could happen was a fingerprint at a time. A simple gesture, that evolved into patterned prayers, meditations on connection. (fall 2020 - Present) |
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Deep Dive
A sampling of older, non-serial works