New work

Relationships

We are all on this journey together, each of our roles integral to the overarching plot, some of us playing important parts that reach wide audiences, others merely extras that come and go like the changing of the seasons. Together, we interact and therefore affect not only our fellow actors, but also the very stage on which we perform. For some, the curtain is drawn, and the role is simply second nature, while for others, there is a gracious awareness of the interconnectedness that permeates all of life so that there is no real separation between the audience and the performer, nor the curtain and the stage. And in a sense, we have become prisoners to our roles, stuck for one reason or another, seeking freedom from our clamorous thoughts and resisting the chains that bind us to our identity. Animals, like us in so many ways, seem to differ in the respect that they rest in a state of spacious presence without that boisterous, judging mind perpetuating a perceived role. Certainly, animals have their own role to play and they are vital to the storyline but they do not identify with their character like we do and within that is great power, a spiritual power that I call soul.

My artwork reflects the narratives that we tend to ascribe to ourselves, as well as the inextricable connection with the external world and our tendency to forget or ignore this link. While some of my paintings hint at our inclination towards tribalism, others speak to our deep-seeded desire to run wild and be free from our roles, others address our fears, vulnerabilities, our longing for love. But most importantly, my work is a reminder of the stories we tell ourselves and that each character along the journey is essential and essentially you.