I create paintings that combine abstraction, semi-realistic imagery, and lines from my own poetry. In my work, I overlap layers of colors, gestures, and language creating a place where visual and written expression function together as one. My work communicates experiences and emotions I struggle to say aloud using the connections and lessons learned from people I have met.

Although grounded from my own experiences, I’m interested in the shared stories that merge from the layers. Using art as a tool for reflection, I combine written text into the substrates of my work, considering my own emotions and stories as an entry point. I work directly with oil paint applied on raw canvas with clear gesso, a palette knife, brushes, a mix of colors, and handwritten poetry lines while avoiding copying directly from a reference.

I am interested in the movement people see between the written and visual layering. It helps me think about the unexpected relationships people form with strangers and acquaintances alike. The words and images ask how to interpret something not clearly defined and what emotions and questions arise as a result. Created between my own experiences and the viewer, my work considers the emotions, feelings, and experiences that make us who we are.