You’re a new addition to the crayon box: what color are you? 
I think I’d like to be a rich cobalt blue, with a little shimmer!

What is your earliest memory of art? 
I remember painting in preschool. My parents thought one of my watercolor dabbles looked exactly like a dancer and framed and hung it up on our wall. I really felt like an artist then!

What led you to become a practicing artist? Do you still teach? 
I was a Visual Art major in college and spent many hours in my school’s painting studio, totally transfixed and excited by oil paint. After graduating, I got my master’s degree in Art Education and went on to teach art in public middle schools and community organizations. During my first year of teaching, my friend Lesli and I co-rented a studio space in Somerville, MA. In the midst of a demanding job and busy life, the studio was my special haven where I felt like I could really exhale and be myself. I showed work in open studios events, started selling my work, and have continued to find studio space and paint continuously since then! I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by supportive family and friends who have been cheering me on the whole way.

Four years ago, I started a small painting school in Somerville for adult students. This gave me even more focus and time to devote to my art. I also started taking on commissions, in addition to creating my own series of work.

I moved to Seattle two years ago and am currently working as a Special Education Instructional Assistant in a public elementary school by weekday and painting by afternoon/weekend. It’s not a direct art teaching job, but art makes its way into many interactions and lessons with kids. I’ve also been able to stay connected with many of my former painting students. It brings me so much joy to hear from them and see what they are creating and thinking about in their artwork! 

Your work shifts from recognizable figures to more abstract shapes and color - how did this shift come to be? 
I work from my own photos and can usually start to imagine a painting as I take the photo. In some cases I want a person as a focal point, so they will be more detailed. The abstract shapes and color bring them into a dream world and more of a mind state layered onto the environment around them. I usually start with the recognizable details and the abstract shapes and color take on a life of their own as the painting goes on.

Name three artists you look to. 
Joan Mitchell’s color and paint strokes, Graciela Iturbide’s poetic captures of life, and the juicy-ness of paintings by Brigid Watson (a Boston-based artist) are at the top of my mind at the moment. I also love Felix Vallotton’s compositions of everyday moments. My interests are broad and I love looking at so many artists for inspiration, both abstract and representational.

What is your go to material to create with? 
I love painting with oils! It seems like there are endless possibilities with oil paint. And the colors are just delicious. I also love drawing with oil pastels and pencil, charcoal, and ballpoint pen when I want to work with something with a quicker setup.

Talk to us about your painting process! What draws you to these mediums? 
In my large paintings, I usually start with a colorful wash of paint mixed with solvent. I have fun with the fluidity of this stage and the wash often looks like an abstract painting of its own. Then I sketch out my composition with paint and solvent on top of the wash to create the underpainting layer. I stick pretty close to the photograph/ source material that I am working with at this drawing stage. From there I mix thicker paint, usually with a blend of stand and linseed oil, and loosely drop it in where I want it. I like to work fast, so the paints are more fluid and the painting gets juicy. I do a lot of wiping away with paper towel and layering back on. If I get stuck on where to go next, I’ll take a photo of the painting and sketch color ideas on my phone or refer to a color palette chart that I’ve made by hand in advance.

My smaller paintings on wood panel are usually created in one sitting, with paint mixed thickly with stand oil. I don’t use an underpainting or sketch, and try to be extra loose in these paintings.

Your thoughts on paint pallets please! 
Painting palettes are so beautiful and interesting! They are a record of what is happening in the painting and are a mix of the methodical (colors lined around the rim from warm to cool, with a white on either side) and the spontaneous (how your hand moves when it’s loose and searching for that color that’s just right). I love what you can learn about a painter and their process from their palette.

What does a typical studio day look like for you? 
My studio is a painting shed located in my sister’s backyard. I always turn on music when I come into the studio, to set a nice mood. I open up all of the windows to air out the space and take my time scraping old paint off my palette and setting up my colors. I’ll usually look at the painting for a while and take notes before diving in. As I paint I listen to music or podcasts with familiar voices, but that I can tune out as I work. Ideally I will get into a flow, then take a snack, sit, and look at the painting break after a while. Sometimes my sister comes and visits and I like to walk around the garden to get space and come back to the painting with fresh eyes.

How did quarantine change your practice?
I was laid off from a full time job during the pandemic, so it opened up much more time for painting. I took on a lineup of commissions during this time. I also spent a lot of time walking around a lake near my house. This imagery comes into my paintings, as well as the sense of social distancing, contemplation, and finding refuge in nature. I also took some wonderful classes on Zoom with the Seattle Artist League during that time, which pushed my practice in different ways and allowed for creativity and community while at home.