IN BED
I have narcolepsy and have a special relationship with my bed. It has changes overtime. I used to have realistic night-terrors in high school, but now at my middle age, I welcome my sleep and my dreams as a time of healing and rejuvenation. This series explores peoples relationships with their bed and their dreams.
CONUNDRUMS
TAROT
These paintings are my interpretation and design for Tarot Cards. Each painting has a message for the view, so if a specific painting calls out to you, you should listen to it's message.
HUMAN NATURE
These paintings & painted furniture were created during my Summer Residency at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
These works contain a lot of symbolism and metaphors that relate to my perception of the Human Body, Soul, and Behavior. Some of the work is about human nature: our social persona; how we cover-up our pain or guilt to others, and how we feed our loneliness with materials.
The other work displays a metaphor between the Human body and machines. Liquid Gold-leaf was added as accents to a lot of the work (I am a big fan of Gustav Klimt).
Masters of Intrigue
This collection of paintings are very whimsical with dramatic lighting and bold colors. Most of the figures are inspired by Commedia dell'arte characters, and there is an intertwined atmosphere of masquerades, Carnival, and Mardi Gras celebration.
Supreme Beings
This is a collection of paintings portraying various religious deities ranging from Egyptian to Greek mythology. The paintings of Egyptian gods - RA, Sekhmet, and Nekhbet have bodies & attire fashioned after late 1500s - 1800s . times.
Although these painting might seem silly and absurd now portraying portraits of humans with animal heads dressed in well dated attire, the people who believed in these gods or dressed in these fashions would have had a different opinion. That is to say, not one society's religious beliefs or dressing habits should be judged as better or worse.
In the end, we all are the same, just trying to survive and make sense of our current times.
Dirty Sex Suits
“Death comes equally to us all, and makes us all equal when it comes” ~ John Donne
I created the “Dirty Sex Suits” series to visualize the Tao Te Ching’s belief that, we are all born, live, and die. Even though we, as humans, may have different experiences in the material world, we will all equally die, so be content with what you are given, have no fear, and live it up. “It is the way of Nature, An eternal decay and renewal."~ Lao Tze
My acrylic paintings are surreal (dreamlike). I wanted to contrast the material and spiritual realms in the paintings. The Material world is earthy , raw, sexual, heavy, sculpted, and realistic. In contrast, Spiritual world is bright & shiney gold leaf painted designs. The spirits are leaving their temporarily given "suits" through a zipper.
INSTRUMENTALISTS
Dreamers & Make Believers
These paintings are of actors, musicians, and movie characters. They are painted with boldly close-up figures, dramatic lighting, and vivid colors.
HypocritEs
These paintings and illustrations were created for my Senior show at the University of Wisconsin. They contain a lot of symbolism about human nature, our odd traditions and the yearning to conform.
STAGNANT QUICKIES
These figures are all dressed up with no where to go, waiting for something exciting to happen. I guess that's how I feel at this point in my life - at a stand still, ready for action but disappointed & frustrated because nothing comes . Hopefully my next set will be full of action and fulfillment.
