Artist Statement
Three years ago, my children and I wrote a message in a bottle to my ailing mother and launched the bottle into mangroves off Key West. The paintings and poems in this series pay tribute to the healing side of nature and finding solace through stillness.
The view of a windless day on Old Tampa Bay is phenomenal. The reflection of the sky melting into the water speaks to my soul and I am devoted to painting the shorelines of the place where I live and love; Safety Harbor. Through the process of going on walks, photographing the scenery, and translating these bayscapes into oil paintings, I tap into quiet introspection and understated spirituality.
Using a traditional approach to oil painting, I start with a red undertone for vibrancy and apply layers of veil-thin paint, admiring and playing with the nuances of color and how they interact with each other.
Ballad of the Bayou, Sunrise Sonata, Cooper’s Chorus, and Diminuendo are all re-explorations from a specific canoe trip in Cooper’s Bayou Park. Each one has musical titles to reignite admiration for poetry found in nature.
