I’m a visual artist working in traditional two-dimensional media of drawing, painting, and printmaking. I have a lifelong love of drawing, which underlies all of my work. I often start my pictures from direct observation, and I allow myself to elaborate and diverge as I work through them. I forgo the use of photo-reference. This exclusion brings forward my recollections. It makes the work more personal, since it naturally highlights what I’m seeing as important.

Rendering landscapes opens up my imagination. The influence of humankind is less powerful in these pictures as I question our significance in the grand scheme. I intend to confront the sublime ideal that underlies traditional landscape with something upsetting and dynamic.

My figurative work explores vulnerability and nudity. The way I understand my own body informs my seeing, feeling, and representation of the model. I think of this as a form of empathy unfolding through the process of representation. The boundary between self and subject dissolves, connecting me to my humanity.

I grew up in small-town Nebraska, drawing, painting, animating, and writing songs- when I was not driving a tractor on the farm. Our rather large family valued intellect and creativity. Naturally, I went to college and studied art. I avoided returning to the farm after college by putting together a career in the film business, providing practical effects for TV commercials and stop-motion rigging for animated feature films. I’ve lived in Portland, Oregon for 20 years, where I maintain an art studio behind my home. I recently stepped away from film work to pursue fine art exclusively.

I have a BA in Art and Art History with an emphasis on painting and drawing. I've studied at Cal Poly, Pomona, the University of New Mexico, and the Art Institute of Chicago. I’m a member/ owner at Blackfish Gallery in Portland, Oregon and a former member of the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative.