Artist Statement

What is home and how is home defined? Everyone has a different association with the word home and the memories conjured from hearing that word. Home can be a certain person, place, thing or even a feeling. Home can be a collection of memories, nostalgia from the past, childlike wonder, or any number of other things. For me, home represents fragments of physical spaces and cherished memories. Having traveled to over fifty countries, a piece of home and a part of my heart exists in each place. Familiarity exists everywhere. Loss exists everywhere. There is a balance between the two and an emphasis on the importance of acknowledging the distance between everything. Both metaphorical and physical distance exist in my artwork. A fisherman returning home after a long day at sea and seeing the shore ahead of him represents literal distance. Whereas, two people walking near their house suggests metaphorical distance of their connectedness to each other in the moment. Since few things in my life are consistent, home is a loaded concept. 

Each piece reflects a desire to return to something familiar and comfortable. The longing to return to a piece of land or a childlike feeling of wonder seeing a deer in the forest. The collection in the portfolio intentionally utilizes different techniques such as aquatint etchings, paintings, watercolor, and charcoal. Because home has many different meanings in my life, it cannot be limited to one medium to express those complexities. Every piece explores the feeling of nostalgia through the interplay of light and shadows. By illuminating the journey home in various forms, the artwork represents a desire to find connection amidst distance. Both metaphorical and literal distance help me demonstrate the feeling of displacement and uncertainty throughout my life.