Artist's statement:

It is natural for the eye to be drawn to something puzzling or unnatural. When we see something we don't expect, we're often captivated by it as we try to figure it out. For example, in this piece, the buildings coming out of the curls of the hair aren't obvious at first, but as the viewer notices there is something odd about the piece, they are drawn in.

In the figures/characters I create, I purposefully distort or exaggerate their features. A face is no longer dismissed as just a face; it keeps the viewer's attention. In this piece, while the subject matter would still be pretty to look at, without the oversized eyes, exaggerated arch of the brow, etc., the face wouldn't be nearly as interesting.


Mostly, the subject matter for my art is surrealist. Another concept that can really make a piece intriguing is the clash of real and imaginary. Figures that appear realistic toy with our minds when drawn together with impossible things. The rib-cage of the girl in this piece is literally a cage.


While some pieces in this series are processed digitally (like the birds in this piece), all are first created in traditional media. I prefer graphite, but also use pastels, watercolors, india ink, and Prisma markers.


Each piece has a message that isn't immediately obvious, and isn't even completely definite. There are many things a viewer could interpret from any piece in the series. I like to give the viewers something to enjoy looking at-- something interesting, while leaving it up to them to decide what they believe the meaning of the piece is.