Artist Statement

I draw the world not as it is but as I envision it could be. Inspired by my time living in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America, I incorporate symbols, icons, and patterns charged with cross-cultural significance. Infused with my love of color psychology and rustic, organic textures, my work aims to soothe and reinvigorate weary idealists. These pieces serve as a call to action, inviting viewers to visualize better outcomes for our lives, communities, and the planet. Increasingly, my mixed media practice has been evolving into global conversations, integrating patterns and symbols from every continent to become collective meditations on unity and oneness.

As an American/Portuguese digital artist and animator who has lived in developing countries for much of the past decade, my creative journey has been shaped by local conditions such as unreliable internet and frequent power outages. These challenges reconnected me with my fine art roots and reignited my passion for “slow art,” which requires no electricity or screens. Each mark I make mimics the stitches that lovingly form an elaborate quilt or the single frames that add up to a few minutes of animation.

In my mixed media work, I layer colors, lines, and dots using ink and acrylic on vellum or canvas. The drawing process is a form of meditation that helps me tap into a higher level of consciousness and artistic traditions that are thousands of years old. I’m especially drawn to the intricate patterns and vibrant colors found in Asian and African clothing, baskets, ceramics, and local handicrafts made from raw materials. Western influences include stained-glass windows and the bold dark outlines and framing structures found in comic books. Alongside my mixed media work, I am expanding into multisensory and interactive experiences that deepen the spiritual and energetic qualities in my practice, qualities that sensitive viewers often describe as healing, rejuvenating, and supportive.

 

 

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