Artist Statement

I create studio landscapes that blend the spontaneity of plein air painting with the structural design of environment concept art. Rather than strictly painting what I see, I design compositions using a "big-to-small" approach to shape language and an intentional application of light and shadow, guided by the Notan—the Japanese concept of balancing dark and light mass. This technical focus is combined with the emotional charge of stylized, intense, non-local color.

My work is deeply rooted in Magical Realism, exploring the idea that the miraculous coexists within the everyday. My subject matter spans the ordinary to the surreal, with landscapes designed to evoke magic, joy, and contemplation. I use elements like tunnel compositions and dramatic lighting (such as backlighting or half-lighting) to tell stories of how emotion relates to space—for example, a fiery window in an ultramarine shadowscape can evoke both grief and anger. My brushwork is deliberately varied, ranging from blended to geometric, selected to best suit the composition’s shape language and maintain a strong economy of line. My aesthetic is a fusion of the muted Tonal qualities of my Midwest youth, the bright light of the Colorado mountains, and the boundless possibilities of imagined, fantastical places.