In ‘Portraits of Inner Beauty,’ a series of collage-paintings on wood panels, I depict my subjects through symbols which prioritize their positive attributes and personal histories above their physical appearances. I believe that every person is a complex being, and I challenge the viewer to learn more about others before classifying them or making judgements about them.

First, I interview my subjects to learn more about them and the story they want to tell. I gather imagery and ephemera from books, magazines, maps and more, which reference aspects of my subjects’ personalities, beliefs and/or life experiences.

I often take photos and print them on neutral toned, highly textured papers. I combine these with colorful handmade papers and I hand cut everything into smaller pieces, disassociating them from their original meaning and rearranging them to create new meaning in this new context.

As if I am painting with paper, I adhere all these pieces to the wood panel using a gel medium. I then add transparent highlights and shadows with paint, and seal with a protective coating of Gamvar gloss.

It is my intention to spark conversation, compassion, and empathy. Interacting with my work should be an exercise in being a good person who observes and considers before speaking or judging.

For these reasons, my mixed media collage paintings delve beneath the surface appearance of my subjects to showcase the layered biographies and experiences at work within each of us

Let's start the conversation about what makes your loved one beautiful!

-reasonable commission prices
-collaborative project
-one-of-a-kind results

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