Statement

As a Northwest Native, my early experiences were shaped by sustained engagement with the region’s landscapes. Hiking in the mountains with my father, I learned to identify trees by touch—recognizing species through the texture of their bark. This instilled an early awareness of perception beyond the purely visual. Similarly, during cold, wet mornings spent clamming on Washington beaches with my family, I became attuned to subtle patterns in the sand that indicated life beneath the surface. These formative moments motivated me to look for structure that is not immediately visible.

This sensitivity to what exists beyond the apparent continues to inform my artistic practice. My work is driven by an interest in the elusive “something else”—that which resists immediate recognition yet rewards sustained attention. Through painting, I seek to create spaces that invite viewers to remain within the work long enough to encounter the emotional and perceptual experiences that guided its creation.

My studio practice is disciplined and site-responsive. I work daily from 7 a.m. to noon in an 8-by-10-foot studio overlooking Mt. Rainier and Lake Sammamish. The shifting light, moving water, and presence of wildlife underscore the fundamental impermanence of the landscape—an impermanence that parallels the internal dynamics of my paintings. Nothing remains static; change is constant and generative. When asked about the origin of my ideas, I often respond that they emerge from sustained observation of the external world, and occasionally from internal reflection during moments of quiet, such as watching familiar television programs.

I work primarily in series, using a range of media that includes sumi, resin, acrylic, and oil. This serial approach allows for extended exploration of form, material, and emotional resonance across multiple scales. My work has been collected along the West Coast and internationally. I currently exhibit at Fogue Studios in Georgetown, the Women Painters of Washington Gallery in Seattle, and House of Orange Gallery in Cannon Beach.

Engagement with viewers is an important extension of my practice. I value conversations in gallery spaces that connect shared experiences of place—favorite hikes, coastal landscapes such as Kalaloch and Cannon Beach—and art itself. These exchanges reinforce the communal dimension of art-making and viewing, and I look forward to continuing them in future exhibitions.