things in the works

I suppose that I'm playing with how much information to give to a figure. I'm thinking about how when I paint in the face it changes everything because it suddenly gives the figure a specific identity. I'm not sure that's something that I always want to do. But then I ask myself why I'm painting figures at all. Maybe I just can't get the faces right. Maybe I'm just sick of painting ex-boyfriends so I'm avoiding it. I'm not sure if these are finished or not and I'm feeling stuck... any thoughts? anyone?

rainy day landscape

I already sold this baby! Well, sort of...I traded it for a beautiful painting by the ever so talented Joanne Birely :)

still working on a title...

This is a difficult one to photograph because there are alot of different whites in there, but you can get the gist of it.

Artist Statement

My paintings are personal and often autobiographical. I frequently use candid photos as source material; the kind of photographs whose lot in life is to make their way into scrapbooks or to be hung on refrigerator doors. These photos, taken to be seen by friends, lovers or family members, are meant to capture a moment in time. They are a physical and visual way of remembering; they can simultaneously feel posed and natural. My work translates photos of this quality into paintings. This translation interests me because this type of photo caries specific memories and associations for a particular person but when it is translated into a painting it becomes an image that is meant to be viewed and accessible to many people. This creates a tension in that the image then serves as both a specific and personal image as well as referencing broad and universal themes.

My imagery highlights that which is simple yet significant: families, friendships, communities, time and memories, but through these themes they ultimately discuss larger issues such as war, the military, death and decay, the loss of innocence, and regret and mourning. I am interested in when the themes of life, that are too overwhelming to fully comprehend, interact with daily life. How do you mourn someone; how do you cope with the permanency of death? One might surround themselves with the deceased’s photos yet try to move on, because we want to heal but we don’t want to forget. A photo can be a connection to the past and yet it can also be a constant reminder of one’s regrets, the permanency of time, and the inability to change the past. I use photos as source material because they are nostalgic, romantic, and deeply personal; that for me is ultimately what painting is about.

the thin line between finished and unfinished

and I've started painting...or something like that

These are mix of drawing and painting using oil, acrylic, and even pencil. I have started some larger oil paintings and even finished one, but I don't have any images of them yet.

york and frankford

This is a series of drawings that I made for my landscape class. All of them are drawn from the windows of my apartment between the hours of 6-8:30am. Or at least that was what I attempted to do, some of them are drawn a little later in the day :)

some miscellaneous drawings

PV2 Lancaster

I made these drawings almost a month ago. I had a post about them before but these are some better images. I've changed the piece a bit too. I built a kind of simple frame for five of these; five felt like a better number than seven and a more practical size. I'm excited about the frame because it isn't a conventional frame. The drawings aren't behind glass, they are just taped from the back onto a piece of board that it is then attached to a wood structure. This keeps the fragile look of the drawings which I really love. I'm ashamed to say that I dont have an image yet of the whole piece together.
I entered the piece in Arcadia's Works on Paper show. I'll find out in about a week if it got in. I'm excited, I haven't entered a show in a while, actually I haven't entered many at all :)

a hodge podge of September

I haven't posted much lately but I have been working alot and in a few different directions. These are some acrylic and watercolor drawings, small oil landscapes,and a painting from the summer that I worked a bit more on.

i'm drawing!!!

colorado

Senior Year

I just found this painting while I was cleaning out some old work. I made this my senior year of highschool and now that I'm about to enter my senior year of art school it seems fitting to post it.
I've been feeling drawn to painting really personal and emotional subject matter lately which is the only thing that I was interested in in highschool. It feels like a full circle moment.
Stay tuned, perhaps I have more nude self portraits up my sleeve ;)

Summer 09

I'm a little unsure of these so I would love some feedback from anyone that happens upon this blog. These paintings are intensly personal so my own judgement might be a little foggy. I'm considering completely re-doing the portrait but there is something there that I like that I'm afraid of losing. Maybe I'll just make another painting of it.

i feel really good about these...

I feel really good about these...finally something! They feel like a good solid start. After looking at these I feel like I know where I want my next step to be. I need to start working bigger, exploring color more, and working from life rather than photos. I'm hoping to start some drawings of interiour spaces of my parents house, my apartment, Carl's aparment... Oh! It feels so nice to feel like I made something!

a work in progress...finally...

I'm having a hard time getting into this semester since being back from Rome, or at least that's what I'm blaming it on. I need to get my act together. Read more, draw more, paint more, THINK more. These are a start.