All of my paintings are done in acrylics on wood panels. I like the hard surface of the panels, and I use multiple thin layers of paint to build up my images. I use a combination of Golden and Liquitex acrylic paints. Why yes, I do use very tiny brushes! My go-to brushes are Princeton Select Short Liners and Rounds, which I buy in bulk. Iââ¬â¢m hard on my brushes and they donââ¬â¢t retain their necessary precise points for long. I can spending anywhere from two weeks to a month on a single painting, depending on size and detail.
My ideas are often science-inspired, but with a surreal twist. I may read or hear about a scientific or environmental phenomenon and it provides a kernel of inspiration which can lead to a painting or an entire series. I use the black background to create the drama of the spotlight on my chosen subject. It singles them out, exposes their every tiny detail, and creates a void of the unknown around them. In that way, each piece becomes an intimate portrait. I think of the animals in my paintings as simultaneously representing the natural world and also reflecting our own human struggle and emotion. I like to draw parallels between the two.
I drew and painted from a very young age. I took my first art class when I was five. I studied art at Yale University as an undergraduate, and now live and work in Portland, Oregon.
