Hares in Cold Wax and Oil

This series of Hares is a reinvestigation of a symbol that was powerfully meaningful for me earlier in my artistic life. The symbol started out as a rabbit and evoked childhood for me - my nickname “Bunnie”, the movie “Watership Down,” and the storybook “The Velveteen Rabbit.” The symbol of The Rabbit represents vulnerability, love, connection and innocence.

I chose to use a hare instead of a rabbit. Hares are wilder, not so cute, something unapproachable and wise in their eyes. In some paintings the hare is alone, and in others, there is a pair. The arrangement of the hares mirrors bids for connection or solitude between two people, or at times it signifies a spiritual yearning.

In much of my work, I am interested in how bodies can be expressive in different ways beyond the erotic. I often use animals to explore this so that ideas around beauty and sexuality are not triggered. The Hare was a shape to play with, a structure to organize my color and texture around while also representing our yearning for intimacy.

Visitors from a Liminal Field

This collection of small works is a community of imaginary creatures inspired by interactions I’ve had with the natural world, dreams, and the spiritual practice of journeying. Holy gnats, bee beings, iridescent horses, mermaid spawn, and “egglettes” exist in a liminal space, welcoming your attention and gaze. They have been gathering around me for years, like a fairytale not fully articulated.

While rendering these beings, I often find myself navigating the intricate balance along the abstract-illustrative-realistic spectrum. Straying too far into abstraction obscures their innate charm, while veering towards excessive realism makes them look like monsters. I gravitate toward an illustrative style akin to that of a children's book, yet doing so occasionally triggers concerns about the perceived seriousness of my artistic endeavors – I am not, after all, a children's book illustrator. I bounce between the realms of illustration and semi-abstraction, seeking the sweet spot that does justice to both their essence and my artistic intent, all the while delighting in their presence.