Artist Statement:
In my paintings, I seek to capture those transcendent moments we experience in nature—fleeting instances of wonder that often prove elusive to photograph or to even recall in their full emotional impact. Working on large canvases, I create what I call 'moodscapes': semi-abstract landscapes born from imagination and accumulated experience rather than direct observation.
My work stems from a simple truth: sometimes nature shows us something that takes us completely out of our ordinary world. Using broken, semi-abstracted brushwork and vivid colors, I work to recreate not just how these moments look, but how they feel—the way they lift our spirits and remind us that we're part of something bigger.
My process is largely intuitive, drawing from countless hours painting both the dramatic and subtle aspects of the natural world. I strive to create paintings that might spark viewers' own memories of meaningful encounters with nature. The larger scale of these canvases helps create an engaging experience, while the broken brushwork and semi-abstraction help to capture nature's energy and movement.
These 'moodcapes' are meant to bring some of nature’s vitality into our homes and daily lives. In a world where we spend so much time looking at screens, these paintings offer a different kind of window—one that might remind us of those moments when nature shows us its power to refresh our perspective and lift our spirits.
Awards & Distinctions:
Awards
2016 1st place, California Plein Air Painters, Signature Member Competition
2016 Jury Award, Los Altos Fine Art Show
2013 Honorable Mention, National Open, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA
2010 1st place, UArt 2010 Open, Pastels and Drawing
2010 Honorable Mention, Santa Cruz Plein Air
2010 Mayor’s Award, Los Altos Fine Art Fair
2009 1st place, Pastel, American Juried Art Salon, International Spring Show
2009 1st place, LAAC, Landscape Competition
2008 2nd place, LAAC, Still Life Competition
Exhibitions:
Selected Shows
2014 Carmel Art Festival, Carmel, CA
2013 Carmel Art Festival, Carmel, CA
2013 National Open, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA. Juror: George Rivera
2012 Studio Gallery, Coastal Show, San Francisco, CA
2012 Carmel Art Festival, Carmel, CA
2012 Los Gatos Plein Air, Los Gatos, CA
2011 Studio Gallery, Terrain Show, San Francisco, CA
2011 Carmel Art Festival, Carmel, CA
2011 Higbee Gallery 6x6 Show, Jurors Jean Stern and Tim Horn
2010 University Art Open 2010. Juror Rebecca Schapp, Director DeSaisset Museum
2010 San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival
2010 Society of Western Artists Annual Show, Redwood City, CA
2010 Pastel Society of the West Coast Annual Members Show, Auburn, CA
2010 Laguna Plein Air ‘Best of Plein Air’ Show, Laguna Beach, CA
2010 Pastels Only, Allegro, Woodside, CA
2010 Santa Cruz Plein Air Affaire, Santa Cruz, CA
2010 Saratoga Fine Art Fair, Saratoga, CA
2010 Los Altos Fine Art Fair, Los Altos, CA
2010 Los Gatos Museum Annual California Open Juried Show
2010 Filoli Juried Show - Jurors: Kim Lordier & Paul Kratter & Jann Pollard
2010 SWA Gallery Winter Juried Show, Redwood City, CA
2009 Gallery 34, Tiburon, CA
2009 Coastside Gallery, Half Moon Bay, CA
2009 Allied Arts Plein Air, Menlo Park, CA – Juror Kevin Courter
2009 Los Altos Rotary Fine Art Fair
2009 Kings Mountain Art Fair, Woodside, CA
2009 American Juried Art Salon, International Juried Spring ’09 Show
2009 Los Gatos Plein Air, CA. Juror George Rivera, Triton Museum
2009 Pacific Art League Invitational 2009
2009 Spring Invitational Show, Allegro Gallery, Woodside, CA
2009 Silicon Valley Invitational, Los Altos, CA
2008 American Juried Art Salon, International Juried Fall/Winter ’08 Show
2008 California School of Music and Art, “Symphony of Colors", Mt. View, CA
2008 Allegro Framing & Art, Still Life Exhibit, Los Altos, CA
2008 Silicon Valley Invitational, Santa Clara, CA
2007 Silicon Valley Invitational, Los Altos, CA
