Artist Statement

Through my work, I explore the cultural and historical connections between people and place, frequently working within the tradition of landscape. I am often drawn to spaces that are filled with traces of stories no longer told. 

My process begins with spending time in the locations that I paint, observing their atmosphere and researching their history. These spaces are meaningful to me because of the feelings they evoke, but also because they reveal the duality of human behavior and our treatment of land. 

I believe that the spaces around us, in their raw and objective state, tell us more about their histories than words can. Our treatment of land, good or bad, cannot be erased or covered up. Where memory and story are abandoned, these places persist as quiet records of human behavior, speaking volumes about our impact on the environment around us. I see painting as a way of listening to the land, and in turn, offering viewers the chance to confront and reflect on its histories. 

In my oil paintings, each brushstroke is deliberate and purposeful. I use strong shifts in value to create depth, tension, and focus. By working at a small scale, I echo the fragility of the landscape, transforming something vast into something intimate. By shrinking the expanse, the viewer is asked to slow down, lean in, and recognize both the vulnerability of the land and our close connection to it.