My work is inspired by nature and infused with emotion. The colors are chosen intuitively. I paint from a place of joy working spontaneously; often starting by putting pastel to paper and letting the piece unfold. I am drawn to pastels as a medium because of their tactile quality and the infinite ways that they can be applied. The main tool used is my hand; the pastel becomes an extension of my hand as though there is no separation between me and the medium.
My earlier pieces are numbered rather than titled. The intention is to allow the viewer their own unique experience with the work without the influence of words. The decision to not name my work was born out of conversations with others as to what the title of one of the pieces should be. Different people saw vastly different things; a night desert in bloom, a marsh in the fall and someone else thought the piece looked like surface of Mars. It was then that I decided they should remain unnamed. More recent works are titled as a way to offer some sort of context. I'm still deciding which I prefer. All parts of creating is a process after all.
I also enjoy working with Acrylic paint on a larger scale. My process is not that much of a departure from the way I approach my work in soft pastels with the exception of the tools I implement. I am able to use my body more in the larger scale paintings which allow for a greater sense of movement and texture.
My watercolor sketches and paintings are more representational and while still emotive, many started as an exercise to hone skills and techniques. Some of them were done on site Plein-Aire. Watercolor is my preferred medium for on site painting.