For much of my life, I have worked in the fields of dance, vocal music, and interior design. A life-altering event was a catalyst for taking a leap and enrolling in classes at the San Francisco Art Institute where I began exploring deeper creative production through abstract expressionism and pop art in painting and drawing.

Aesthetically, I often utilize words in combination with dynamic and explosive color. Sometimes, the painted or drawn words are clearly legible. Other times the words are hidden. My work starts conversations with viewers on topics ranging from local and global politics, popular media, healthcare, education, consciousness, and compassion. My hybrid artistic expression of lettering, reiteration, and color provides an outlet to grapple with and overcome provocative concepts such as power, inequality, injustice, patriarchy, sexism, and elitism. I also have a special series that invites levity called “Oops Art,” beckoning viewers to consider times when life goes awry.

Using bursting color and powerful words, often I become fully immersed in the moment and cannot recall exact decisions and junctures on the path to completion. Sometimes I think a piece is finished, only to come back days or weeks later when I feel compelled to add more layers of color, text, or even combine other pieces.

Early works commonly contain cursive text on paper using graphite, pen, acrylic, and rapid repetition. Later creations consistently incorporate colorful words and abstract expression on a duralene surface; this material is a matte, paper-like film which can be transparent. The duralene transparency allows for versatility, where the art can be viewed from both sides, and multiple pieces can be layered to enhance effect.

In expressive works that do not contain words, my pieces can be viewed in different orientation – shifting them 90 or 180 or even 270 degrees – which alters the effect and can capture a more attractive look for an individual viewer. Recent works employ canvas, as well as claybord flat and cradled panels. Media ranges from graphite, charcoal, chalk-pastel coloring pencils, oil pastels, oil crayons, acrylic paint, ink, and gouche.

In my artistic and personal journey, I seek to embody the mystical Phoenix, spreading growth, freedom, and beauty.