statement

My botanical oil paintings are a kind of iconic portraiture. Multi-tonal layers of color — transparent and impasto — and spirited draftsmanship are often combined with the archaism of gold leaf. I strive to convey the ethereal yet powerful nature of blossoms. As Eckhart Tolle suggests, "Flowers are representative of the spiritual realm... and are a bridge between the world of physical form and the formless." I paint to make that bridge more accessible and to bring attention to the transformative character of plants. My hope is that my work offers a moment of reflection to the viewer and causes a gentling of the spirit, so that gentleness may then be expressed outward.