WATER WORKS
Work in this collection explores and documents the beautiful lakes of Michigan. Living here, surrounded by the Great Lakes and thousands of inland waterways, the water completely soothes my soul and brings me great happiness. I am deeply drawn to painting waterscapes, boats, and freighters—for me, they have a human-like quality and a unique life story to share. The Michigan sky graciously provides the setting for the story told in each painting. My process involves layering paint and using transparency to create vibrant colors, while experimenting with the textural qualities of mixed media and relief structures on the canvas.
VESSELS & STORIES
There is a rich history and quiet dignity to the boats and freighters that travel our waterways. I treat these subjects not just as machinery, but as characters with their own histories and a life story to share with us. This collection focuses on capturing their unique silhouettes, movements, and presence against the open water.
PUBLIC MURALS
Taking my studio practice out into the community, this section features my large-scale work, including my contribution to the City of Petoskey Public Art Commission's Wheelway Art Walk. For this project, I created an original 4-by-4-foot mural installed along the prominent highway retaining wall near Bayfront Park. Painting for public spaces is an incredibly rewarding process because it allows me to connect with neighbors directly and share art outside a traditional gallery. This piece, alongside works by other local artists with ties to Emmet and Charlevoix Counties, serves as a colorful celebration of our region’s unique culture, creativity, and natural beauty.
INLAND WATERS & GREAT LAKES
This collection focuses on both wide-open water and smaller inland lakes. I am interested in how these different bodies of water sit within the landscape and interact with the horizon. In these paintings, the sky entirely dictates the color of the day, transforming the water's surface through shifting light.
LAKE LIFE
This collection captures the personal, lived experiences of being on the water. It focuses on the familiar sights of lakeside living—the docks, the recreation, and the quiet moments spent by the shore. These pieces combine traditional painting with mixed-media textures to evoke the nostalgic feeling of a Michigan summer day.
