Artist Statement

I am a licensed clinical social worker, painting allows me to express my own reactions to the stories I hear every day, without violating anyone’s confidentiality, although some painting titles come from things my patients have said. 

Therapists look at the way people interact in terms of content versus process.  Content is what we say to each other and process is how we say it; it is tone of voice, volume, and rate of speech.  Process is the important part of a relationship, it is where messages can be clarified or muddied.

 In my art, process is also tone, volume, and rate (of strokes).   Mixing cold wax with oil paint gives the paint body (it looks and feels a lot like Crisco) and a beautiful luster.  I prefer to use translucent oil paints to produce a luminous effect.   Smooshing cold wax and oil paint onto paper or board with a kitchen scraper allows me to paint what I feel rather than what I see.