I collect moments. Moments with people I’ve met, places I’ve been, and things I’ve seen. As an artist with roots in classical realism, it’s important for me to paint moments realistically. But solely painting realism feels incomplete, and it can become a bit too academic for me. It’s not only about the visual recreation that is crucial in my work, but instilling an emotional sensation within my pieces holds an equal amount of relevance. I want to make my audience feel that they are walking down a rainy street, climbing up a sun drenched hill, or sitting in front of a loved one. I want a viewer to feel the moments I collect.

In my work, I find myself breaking free from traditional ways of painting and incorporating much more expressive means. I place highly developed detail next to looser, almost abstract, areas. I’m fascinated with how to combine near photographic rendering alongside the roughness of the palette knife, or the randomness of a loaded brush. This combination of realism and Impressionism techniques creates a natural tension in my paintings, as well as directs where I want the eye to travel. I also create compositions outside of conventional rules and gravitate towards subjects that do not necessarily follow a standard of beauty. There is a bit of provocation in all of this, as I am playing off of and challenging the traditional ways art should be, but it is also an invitation. An encouragement to see what else beauty entails.