I paint about the subtle realities, mundanity, and complexities of lives I’m able to glimpse or be part of.  My work draws on the rich history of portrait painting, creating a likeness but also musing on cultural norms, ideals and current political realities.  Over the past few years, I have been vacillating between two narratives, the personal musing on being female and the politics of working and teaching art to marginalized youth.  The show incorporates both facets of my work.

Over the last decade, I’ve taught art to elementary students in under served communities.  This professional path has been deeply impactful to me. Teaching at numerous schools, community centers and libraries in the East Bay, I have found myself an artist trapped in a car commuting to and from work. Many an afternoon, crawling every so slowly through traffic, I became interested in the people who occupied the streets and the signs that implore and prod us along from all sides.  I began drawing from candid photos that I took along the way, and painting on signs collected at junk yards. The signs combined with a diversity of portraits, took on additional meaning in our current political climate, where unfortunately immigration is viewed negatively by too many. This work depicts my love for the students I serve and my values, where everyone in America is welcome.