I was born in St. James, Long Island, in 1970 and have lived on Long Island for most of my life. I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, NY in 1995. Shortly thereafter, I moved to Montauk, NY. I was inspired by the beautiful Atlantic beaches and began to paint beach and others scenes of Long Island’s East End. I completed a certification program in Art Education in 2003, and my Master’s degree in Literacy Education in 2005.
My early East End works have grown to encompass an entire philosophy of beauty embodied in the Peace of Beach series. Using oil on wood panel as my chosen medium, I paint to challenge this culture’s notions of acceptable beauty by concentrating on the most mundane elements found underfoot: rocks, sand, water, and shells.
The painterly realism of Edward Hopper inspires me with his portrayal of beauty in the ordinary as I paint Long Island’s glacially-deposited rocks. John Singer-Sargent’s masterful handling of oil paint guides my work in the medium as I use rich, varying textures and imbue my chosen subjects with vitality and intensity.
I look forward to continuing my artistic journey in my new home in Florida. I anticipate the next creative turn that my new environment will present. I seek to embrace it and further my vision of the overlooked beauty that surrounds us.
