Much of my imagery is drawn from my love of the natural world. I grew up among artists in Santa Fe, which is partly why my first artistic instinct was towards painterly Impressionistic landscapes. I still use complementary colors and play with negative space to create a sense of movement and depth in my work. While painting I try to forget these words, as well as the names of things or places. A world stripped to the simplicity of its forms and colors invites me to savor the present moment. Even the most mundane location can become a holy place when the eye finds beauty there. So there is also a spiritual dimension to my work. Color is not only a visual tool, but also the language of energy and intangibles. To achieve the richness of palette that characterizes my paintings, I work in oils and employ an almost Fauvist sense of color harmony.

Because I am not interested in reproducing what is immediately apparent, but rather discovering new ways of seeing what is overlooked, I often straddle the line between abstraction and representation. Looking into my paintings one will sometimes see mysterious shapes or colors that are vestiges of older paintings underneath. I combine layers of paint to create deep, lush color, and imbue my work with a sense of mystery. When outdoors I contemplate the patterns of things, like the way certain trees dapple light or pine trees grow in spirals. Using these visual rythms allows me to omit surplus details and focus on the process of creating.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

  • Ray of Light Spa, San Francisco, CA, June 2004
  • Nabolum Bakery, Berkeley, CA, August 2004
  • Ironworks, Berkeley, CA, September 2004
  • Venus, Mountainscapes, Berkeley, CA, May 2005
  • Farley's, San Francisco, CA, August 2005
  • Hunter's Point Open Studios, October and December 2005
  • Crepes on Cole, August - October 2006
  • Rick and Ann's, Berkeley Gardens, Berkeley, CA, August 2007
  • 2223 Market Street, Sacred Places, San Francisco, CA, October 2007
  • Red Oak Realty Gallery, Berkeley, CA, January 2008
  • Earth and Sky Oasis, Sanctuary, San Francisco, CA, August 2008
  • Depot Cafe, Seasonal Color, Mill Valley, CA, December 2008
  • Ironworks, Plein-air; Yosemite and the Sierras, Berkeley, CA, December 2009
  • Selected Group Exhibitions

  • Site Santa Fe, Twelfth Annual Monothon, Santa Fe, NM, 1998
  • Yoga Kula, Play of Light, Berkeley, CA, October 2004
  • Yoga of Sausalito, Sausalito Art Walk, Sausalito, CA, August 2004
  • Prudential Realty, Sausalito Art Walk, Sausalito, CA, October 2004
  • Yosemite Museum Gallery, Yosemite Renaissance, February 2005
  • Artisans Art Gallery, Mostly Red, Mill Valley, CA, February 2005
  • LSU Gallery, 20 X 20 X 20; A Compact Competition, Baton Rouge, LA, April 2005
  • Fourth Street Studio, Fall Introductions, Berkeley, CA, September 2005
  • CA Culinary Academy, San Francisco, CA, January - April 2006
  • American Juried Art Salon, National Gallery Owners Association, October 2006
  • Artwork SF Gallery, Holiday Treats, CA,San Francisco, December 2006
  • Giorgi Gallery, Noel, Berkeley, CA, December 2006
  • The Artist's Alley, Featured Artist, San Francisco, CA, February 2007 - 2008
  • Artwork SF Gallery, East Meets West, San Francisco, CA, November 2007
  • Mill Valley Fall Arts Fest, Mill Valley, CA, September 2008
  • Montclair Art Gallery, Local Color, Oakland, CA, 2008-2009
  • San Francisco Artist Guild ongoing (since June 2005)
  • Education

  • BA, UC Santa Barbara, 1997; Art History, French, and Economics, honors
  • MA, UC Santa Barbara, 1998
  • UCB Extension coursework in painting, ongoing