ARTIFACTS of MEMORY
In June of 2018, I had the privilege of attending the Women’s Art Institute Summer Studio Intensive at St. Catherine University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was a transformative experience which helped me out of a creative rut and sparked a new body of work based on memories of personal experiences throughout my life, rendered in oil paintings.
Drawing on random, vivid memories from my life, I create large-scale paintings using psychologically compelling narratives that are slices of twentieth century life with a surreal, “film noir” quality. By sharing my stories in these painterly oil paintings using vivid colors and a dramatic, moody ambience, I hope to draw the viewer in by creating archetypal spaces that resonate with their own experiences.
These pieces tend to bring on an emotional reaction that is different for each person. The stories can be interpreted many ways, and I am fascinated and often surprised by the responses people have to them. I also love the challenge of working strictly from memory, constructing visually cohesive compositions by trusting my skills as an artist, designer, and storyteller. It is an indescribable experience to access my younger self and delve into her feelings, reactions, and distinctive perspective on the world she inhabited.