Artist Statement

My portfolio is guided by the question: how can abstraction and light show the interaction of person and place in a fleeting moment? I have narrowed in on the effect on my brushstrokes, and how I can enlarge them to highlight the shift in values as well as the blurry notion of a memory. This way, the painting appears as an expression of an image which highlights an untouchable moment in time. My painting, Snow Day, has helped guide my investigation because I enjoyed the movement and brushstrokes I used to create it. I learned how to give the impression of snow as well as how to approach painting natural environments. It also pushed me to accentuate light and the contrast between colors to show values. I was able to push these ideas further through my next piece, The Pier, where I wanted to maintain the feeling of motion while focusing in on light and shadows. This piece inspired the concept of “fleeting time” which has further influenced my theme. With each piece I want to push past the underlying idea of people intersecting with their environment and look at how I can paint a memory with different techniques and values. While painting London Underground, I learned to leave my brushstrokes unblended so they are visible to the viewer. This way each color is a different and defined value which highlights where the light hits and the shadows fall.