As an artist I have come full circle – from painting and printmaking, to animation, to working in encaustic for both pursuits. Working on an experimental animation, I discovered that the layered translucent effects I achieved with encaustic paint underscored the feeling of mystery and depth of a largely non-narrative work in a way that other techniques could not. As a longtime aficionado of technique & process, I love seeing ideas grow out of process, finding the magic and the meaning through the method.

My animation and my painting share common themes and aesthetics – visually: a mix of pattern, texture, abstraction, and figurative elements. Conceptually: elements of family and personal history are interwoven with social commentary and humor. My work is made up of layers, both physical and symbolic. Working with paint, collage and assemblage; words, letters, and phrases as well as pictures & photographs, the ordinary is often abstracted; becoming something new. Encrusted paint medium can evoke layers of history, experience, and memory; opacity and more layers obscure detail and distort the realism of photographic representation – instigating a new way of seeing.