In this body of work, I have intentionally fabricated the challenge of overcoming sorrow, loss, or death to create something I see as beautiful. We are bombarded by tragic images every day, and it can become overwhelming. My work is a process of beautification. I produce dark surreal settings for my figures to create a unique emotional response within themselves. Pulling out the flecks of light and finding the beauty in the darkness has become therapeutic for me. With my hands, I paint tragedy in a new perspective. I want to define beauty in a new way. I want people to see the perseverance of tree roots as they crumble cement sidewalks, or the graceful way vines hang from the gutters of an abandoned building.    

      With precision, honesty, and control, I break down the wall between the viewer and the piece. It is with this technique I enable the viewer to believe the surreal world they are viewing. I want the audience to see past the surface of the painting and immerse themselves in the environment of the figure. I pursue a raw human connection to the figure’s experience. I need to believe it is real. I want to feel the suffering and pain while being blinded by the romance and elegance of its depiction. While this type of beauty is fleeting, it is these moments of warmth and empathy that remind us it isn’t all darkness."