Laguna College of Art + Design

The formal elements of my work respond to conflicting visual dualities in water.

Water is a substance that can be both transparent and opaque. It allows its mysteries to

stay hidden, or to loom eerily beneath its glassy surface. Realism defines these

compositions, but abstract swirls and quick gestural marks contribute to each painting.

This process of working allows me to maintain a balance between structure and freedom.

There are no strict narratives in this work. Instead, universal themes allow room

for a viewer to bring personal experiences to a painting. Each painting is an attempt to

capture a quality of water that is authentic and tangible. I use water as subject matter

because of its ability to be both nourishing and eroding, a reflection of nature’s creative

and destructive duality. This constant state of ambivalence in water comes through in my

art. Whether it is a specific mood, moment, or interaction, there is no right or wrong way

to understand these paintings, just as there is no single way to describe the qualities of

water.