Artist Statement

My work depicts inner states – of energy, emotion and mythic narrative – that relate to my psychic healing and spirituality. Influenced by the idealistic beauty of the Symbolists, Pre-Raphaelites, Renaissance masters, Medieval religious painters, and Golden Age illustrators, combined with traditional and contemporary Japanese influences, I paint worlds of deities, angels, and other etheric beings. I connect to the shamanic essence of Nature, uniting Heaven and Earth in my work through animal spirits and sublime landscapes. My consistent psychological self-inquiry, search for deep healing, dreams, experiences of shamanic and psychedelic states, study of astrology, and practice of yoga and meditation all have assisted me in receiving images from the unconscious. Sometimes I paint from an image in my mind’s eye, and other times I begin spontaneously and allow the painting to evolve on its own.

My desire to create relates to my lifelong attempts at answering the questions, “Who am I? Why am I here?” I have followed my intuitive guidance throughout my life, seeking beauty and inspiration in every circumstance. I am inspired by the light that softly shines in the darkest hour, transformative experiences of the human psyche, and the potent force of awakening – Kundalini – that lies within every human, waiting to be summoned. I play with many juxtaposing themes in my work: the infinity of spiritual power and the frailty of the human condition, death and rebirth, eternity and impermanence, movement and stillness, levity and gravity, and virtues and passions. Through it all, a playful and light touch reminds us that, in the end, we are all characters in an epic story by an unknown author.