Sun Gazing:

My paintings have focused on bodies at leisure—lounging and exposed in positions of vulnerability—and so imagining a safe space for this activity that is alluring yet without objectification is one of the key components of these painted works. I have been sculpting frames for my paintings to create a protected yet unrestricted embrace surrounding the figures at rest in the paintings. The frames extend this idea into the dimensional world, suggesting a closer connection to lived experience, while at the same time acting as an ornamental reminder that a painting is also a fantasy.

View Frames.

When sunbathing by a pool, the fingers of the sun pour over expanses of flesh that are squeezed into the suction of my swimsuit. Bubbles roll up through my body’s crevices in a hot tub. It’s nearly impossible to ignore my body in these spaces.

These paintings are focused on the pool and hot tub as spaces for leisure and (by extension) sites of power dynamics, political resistance and personal autonomy. 

Exposure at a place like a swimming pool is layered; leisure practices are linked to power, and these power dynamics often conjure a whole spectrum of ideas about who gets to indulge, rest and enjoy themselves.

By focusing on the body, I am addressing the potential for criticism, danger and discomfort, as well as physical enjoyment and fantasy in these spaces designed for leisure.

Many of my paintings begin with smaller paintings and drawings on paper that I use as preparatory works for the larger paintings. They allow me to paint the same subject in a different way - the materials each have their own effects on the light, texture and mood of the overall piece.

View Works on Paper

My studio practice is expanded by research and I have had a few occasions to write about things I am learning and thinking about.

Read Writing Projects