About

When I paint from life, my body stills and my mind quiets. I squint to blur my vision, watching closely as faces and trees become shapes and lines. My eyes shoot between my canvas and the subject; I work quickly. My favorite time of day is the hour before dusk. The light glows orange and casts long, purple shadows. As the day draws to a close, my process becomes a race against the setting sun.

Painting landscapes is my way of celebrating the gentle beauty of New England. Painting from nature rejuvenates me spiritually, giving me a break from the daily stress of living in the city. It is my practice of active meditation; it brings me peace and joy. I want to channel and capture that intangible sacredness of life, what Marsden Hartley called the “living essence present everywhere.” 

I have always had a profound need to connect with others. For me, painting a person is a very powerful and intimate experience. To paint a successful portrait, I feel that my sitter must trust me and feel at ease. Their struggles and desires, their vulnerability, their strength- all of this I search for in their eyes and in the details of their features. I start with upwards of 20 colors on my palette. I take my time to mix my pigments, working until I match each hue with exactly what I see. Once I start painting, I work very fast, doing my best to complete the portrait in a single sitting (usually within 2-4 hours). Sometimes I run out of time and cannot finish a piece to my liking. Rather than resorting to photographs and doing my best to “fix” the painting at a later date, I just chalk it up to experience and start fresh with a new canvas on another day. Regardless of the outcome, my models often report that the experience was relaxing and enjoyable for them. 

As an artist it is my goal to depict people and places with sensitivity and without embellishment, recording them in order to honor and treasure them. I take inspiration from my immediate surroundings: my neighborhood in Jamaica Plain, the landscapes of the Arnold Arboretum, and perhaps most of all, my friends, new and old.