Green Pond 40x40 inches Acrylic on Canvas

My paintings are two-dimensional acrylics on canvas and are primarily landscape based.

Preservation of nature and the environment is critical. At times I feel I am recording what may shortly disappear - a tree, a field, an undeveloped shoreline. My connection with nature per se, as well as with place is a wellspring for my art. I was born and educated in Canada, with a couple of years in Europe. After moving to Chicago, my focus drifted from forest and rural areas to include more urban elements. However, I always return to landscape.

My work draws from different sources including renaissance composition, expressionistic brush stroke and the spiritual curiosity of the post-impressionists. I hope to introduce an element of the unknown, whether through an anthropomorphic quality in plant imagery or through the introduction of random human made elements such as signs or chairs. The space is ambiguous, condensing the biological elements into one plane, creating a patterning. At the same time shadow and modeling is used to create a primitive sense of deep space.

To some extent and in varying degrees, my paintings reflect an interest in the feminist exploration of spirituality in nature. At the same time they play with the relationship of landscape to pure abstraction. This is reflected in the nature of the mark making, in the investigation of organic vs. non-organic shapes and in a heightened focus on the pure sensuality and tactile possibilities of paint.