BIRTHPLACE:   san jose, california LIVES IN:   Los Angeles

WORKS IN:   Los Angeles SCHOOLS:   California State University Long Beach (CSULB), 1995, BFA CalArts, 1999, MFA

My current work is a series of drawings and paintings with ink on paper and Ink and acrylic on canvas. The works are abstracted landscapes that are done entirely in a intuitive manner.  I use the word painting in a lose way since these canvases have large areas which are drawn·on with ink and not painted over.  I am interested in the pen’s fine line being able to give much more detail than would be accomplished using a paint brush. These works are somewhat in between drawing and painting. When showing this work I include a short poem / song lyric that is about escaping with parts taken from songs of the sixties and seventies.  I also include snap shot panoramic photos of mountains or views from mountains that I assemble in a David Hockney manner. I ·include both the photos and song lyrics to poetically inform the viewer.

 

The work came out of trips to Ireland to visit my Mother. ·I would hike around the Connemara hillside where I would take photos from a high point looking down on a village. I was always in awe of the stark desolate landscape. Ireland is known for it's green vegetation although much of Connemara is covered by blanket peat bogs. These peat bogs are light brown to green and muted shades in between. Another feature of this Connemara landscape are the stone walls used to mark land boundaries. These stone walls shoot straight up the sometimes sheer hillsides. From below one can see these walls as almost line drawings with the ubiquitous white spots of sheep, set against the greenish brown hills.··

I have always lived in places with low lying mountain ranges. These mountains held an amount of amazement for me as a child and in one form or another come back in my work.

 

I am interested in the idea of the sublime whether it be on a mountain top or looking out of the window on a transatlantic

flight . I am also interested in using delicate lines with subtle colors that resemble clouds, waterfalls and melting ice.

·I am also interested in the idea of escaping. Escaping personal, political or environmental issues.

 

Group shows,

       2007       "Natural Geographic"          

                         Norma Desmond Productions, Culver City

                       "Interactions: Armory Artists and their Art

                       Armory  Northwest , Pasadena

2006      Compari, This show was not sponsored by “

                       Park Projects, Los Angeles Curated by Luciano Perna.

                       Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Staff Show.

        2002      Mr. Thanks Presents “ group show, Hollywood.

                        Curated by Sarah Averbrook.

       1999        “Organics”  California Institute of the Arts.

 Solo shows,

        1999         MFA Thesis Show  “Just Kickin it” Gallery A402

California Institute of the Arts,  Valencia, California 

Awards 

2006    Armory Center for the Arts Teaching fellowship.

Teaching 

2006    Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

                         Lead weekend, Family day, and art camp classes for children.

2007    LACMA On-site at LAUSD schools                    

2006    Community Arts Resources.

                         Develop project and lead Getty festival workshop.

2003    Side Street Projects.                                                                                                                  

                   Lead woodworking classes for children ,age five to eleven.