It is amazingly easy to feel lost in our own world. Small changes in routine, breaches of understanding, or betrayals of trust can threaten our sense of security and undermine our confidence in our own judgment. In such situations, we may feel a terrifying loss of control. However, we may also experience a sense of freedom when we realize the possibilities that emerge when we let go of our assumptions. When we become disoriented, aspects of our lives that we once overlooked or took for granted can become significant and fascinating.

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As I work, I disrupt my perception of the subject so I can explore it in a new way. Sometimes I choose subjects that I already find unsettling, and I convey my sense of discomfort through fracturing and distortion. In other cases, I approach a subject that seems safe and familiar, and I use similar processes to detach myself from my usual experience and explore the subject as something new and strange. This sense of visual disorientation is ultimately linked to social and psychological upheaval. By questioning what I know about what I see, I also question my sense of who I am and where I belong in the world.

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It takes a long process for me to generate ideas for my paintings; I usually start my exploration by sketching from life. Drawing from observation strengthens my understanding of an object’s orientation in space and heightens my awareness of subtle details. In my drawings, I explore the relationships between forms and begin to manipulate them, shifting and distorting parts of a scene and melding them together into a dynamic image. The energy transforms in ways I wouldn’t expect: mechanical objects like pipes and gears become fluid and organic; the festivity of a Christmas tree becomes vaguely ominous.

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In my paintings, I harness that energy as I move beyond observation and build my own spaces. Paint is easily manipulated; I can rework it until I feel I have thoroughly explored a concept or successfully conveyed an idea. Again, the image transforms as I move beyond my first impression of the subject and respond to the new reality of the painting. I strive to create a sense of space that is fluid and unpredictable but is still convincing to the viewer. Texture and color provide new layers of complexity and create a sense of visual impact. That sense of impact is as important for my artistic process as it is for the viewer’s experience: the image continually evolves as I respond to the colors and forms and the relationships between them. A painting is never truly finished for me, because I can always find new possible connections. I stop at a point where the piece is rich with ideas but is open enough for the viewer to actively explore the image.