Winter Small Works 2026

On my travels across Asia I was taken by scenes of everyday life in which figures demonstrated a type of visual poetry. These women, quietly reading newspapers in the park demonstrated a sort of energetic intimacy while in the midst of a busy, noisy environment. I hope to demonstrate the simplistic beauty of figures in action while drawing the viewer into the story of others' lives.

I rarely start out a painting with an idea of what I am going to paint. I am often inspired by shapes that interest me, starting with a mark on the paper and seeing where my intuition leads, often arriving at a very different composition than the one I began with. Some themes do resurface time and time again - the moon, portals, day and night, clouds and the seasons. Once the painting is complete (and sometimes many months after), I begin to get an idea of what it was trying to express, and title it accordingly. I use Arches 300lb. watercolor paper and archival watercolor pigments. Many transparent washes are applied to each painting in order to intensify and vary the color palette - a process I have arrived at over many years that often isn’t recognized as watercolor.

The bare trees with the rising moon became my first photograph for the new year. The title comes from the first month named In the ancient Roman Calendar.

As an artist, my work often explores themes of life, death, and the intersection of nature and humanity. In my latest piece, a mixed media creation that combines clay, wood, acrylic, bone, twine, and enamel, I aim to evoke a sense of contemplation and connection to ancient cultural practices and their poignant representations of the afterlife. The simple face, eyes closed in serene reflection, invites viewers to ponder the quiet stillness that accompanies the passage from life to death. Adorning the forehead is a catfish skull, a symbol of resilience and adaptation in the natural world, while the vertebrae from a large bird protrude from the chin. This juxtaposition emphasizes the blend of life forms and the continuous cycle of existence, suggesting a dialogue between the earthly and the ethereal. Framing the face is twine, which serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of all beings and the bonds that tie them together. This piece is not just a representation of a face but a meditation on the narratives we share and the remnants we leave behind. Through this work, I invite the audience to engage with the themes of identity, memory, and transformation that resonate across cultures and time.

Who can steal time for me, and make this day last longer?

After a long career as a graphic designer in NYC, I wanted to return to pursuing the fine arts. I began by painting everyday objects. The object taking center stage. Portrait of a pear. One day, I just decided to paint a bird. Spending time away from the city and in nature opened my eyes to the beauty and delight of viewing, listening and learning more about these miracles of nature. Watching them makes me smile. I want the bird to be the focus of my painting, devoid of distracting busy backgrounds. My goal is not to create exact scientific renderings, but to capture something of the uniqueness and personality of individual birds. A portrait.

This monochromatic piece came at a moment of low inspiration. I had been facing personal challenges that had me seeking solace in my paintbrush, but left me staring at blank pages. Somehow, I pushed myself to just begin and wound up staring into these soulful eyes. I sought a creative outlet and created a child who seemed to be seeking something of their own. Even still, I wonder what that is.

Birds are frequently the inspiriation for my work. In this piece I was thinking about the cuckoo's habit of depositing their eggs in the nests of other birds. Considering the size ratio of wrens and cuckoos a wren would find it relatively easy to spot an intruder in her nest. I often use beautifully turned wood for my bases and this exceptional Gamble Oak bowl is perfect for this piece.

My hand-formed sculptures are nature-themed and this particular one is an abstract form meant to recall the Stargazer Lily. It is finished in high gloss white glaze.

I read Little Lulu comic books when I was a kid. I decided to update her with some cool shades. The dorky hairdo stays the same, though.

With this project, I created a hand-held idol form to explore the relationship between physical touch and spiritual connection through material manifestation. Each idol will hold the same conceptual meaning, no matter materials or processes used. The historical idea of idols being vessels that project or contain something intangible but with a more personal significance. I wanted to create an object that might offer an immediacy in comfort by being on their person. If it is believed to hold this comfort in its physical form and activated all the personal would have to do is touch it for reassurance. The form I created to be a maternal-like roundness and gentle form that abstracts figure into just a head and body. A crucial element that I think promotes the pocketed ability of the idol is the nail or screw at the center: the idol is not activated until the owner drives a nail or screw personally into their idol. Making this physical connection and experience the idol is then able to release and fulfill what it embodies.