“The painting is that of the soul. One paints their soul in borrowing the object… Without the soul, what is black is only ink, what is white is only paper.” - The Bird With Golden Wings by Yi MunYol 이문열

For me, painting is equal parts worship and self expression. Through painting, I not only create a relationship with the world around me, but borrow it on the canvas to convey emotion. Paint, like any creative medium, transforms basic materials into something that is greater than the sum of its parts. As a musician organizes notes and rhythm to create a melody, an artist compiles color and composition to create artwork. Painting allows me the luxury of being present with myself as a part of the natural world and the opportunity to express the beauty and feelings I experience.

My artistic practice primarily uses gouache and oil paints, though I also experiment with mixed media including casein paints and colored pencils. My subject matter primarily features landscapes, botanicals, and culturally focused figurative paintings with conceptual elements. I aim to eliminate from my palette many commonly used pigments containing cadmium and cobalt due to their toxicity on human health and the water table, thereby honoring my artwork’s relationship to nature and the self.