Artist’s Statement
The series of paintings for The Lighting of the Trees exhibit have taken a whimsical turn from my usual coastal abstracts. Like most artists, my creative process has a direct line to personal conflicts. In the past, my inspiration has played off of the beautiful surroundings here on the coast. However, my recent role as a mother has taken highest rank in my life which in turn affects my art, like it or not. These days, juggling my one year old and my work as a painter, feel like a circus act. There are endless comparisons to parenthood and a circus show which I explore through each painting. The circus is full of vivid color, drama, and amusement, but the production also comes with filth, muck and dirt. The paintings reveal these circus characteristics through the colors and textures of the paint and the incorporated textiles and line quality. Walking a tightrope with a baby on one hip and a career on the other is something so many parents relate to. It is a wonder how these days can feel both wildly erratic and impossibly joyful at once.
The series of paintings for The Lighting of the Trees exhibit have taken a whimsical turn from my usual coastal abstracts. Like most artists, my creative process has a direct line to personal conflicts. In the past, my inspiration has played off of the beautiful surroundings here on the coast. However, my recent role as a mother has taken highest rank in my life which in turn affects my art, like it or not. These days, juggling my one year old and my work as a painter, feel like a circus act. There are endless comparisons to parenthood and a circus show which I explore through each painting. The circus is full of vivid color, drama, and amusement, but the production also comes with filth, muck and dirt. The paintings reveal these circus characteristics through the colors and textures of the paint and the incorporated textiles and line quality. Walking a tightrope with a baby on one hip and a career on the other is something so many parents relate to. It is a wonder how these days can feel both wildly erratic and impossibly joyful at once.
