Portrait Series
This large body of work is composed of exuberantly whimsical abstractions, where color and organic forms prevail. By considering personal moments and interactions of the universal human experience, the spectator is drawn in to a fictitious and heartwarming universe that emerges bit by bit— one that feels both familiar and charmingly curious. Works appear as dreamlike forms in which past and present merge. While the figures do not represent a single identifiable object, they instead allow multifaceted interpretations based on the life experiences of the viewer— be it vintage television sets, aristocratic fruit, or quirky lanterns— the viewer's own sense of nostalgia comes to light. These works offer an invitation to pause, reflect, reminisce, and perhaps even imagine a different vision of both by-gone eras and the future.
A note on the Ancestry Portraits
Entirely separate from my artwork, I began a family tree research project. One day it occurred to me to merge my newfound interest in ancestry with my on-going portrait series with the goal of exploring my heritage by transforming historical data into visual representations. For this project, I am considering only those ancestors who passed before my own lifetime as inspiration for the abstract portrait figures. Sometimes I discover a smidge about the individual- what they did for living or a war in which they fought, but more often I just have a name and a set of dates. The lack of information only adds to the intrigue and creativity of the portraits, however each figure is researched as to the garb of that particular era when the individual lived. It is with these bits of information (name, place & traditional costume of the time period) that the portraits unfold. Each piece a re-imagining of lives lived and stories untold—each figure silently asking viewers to ponder the lives of those who came before us.
Ann (Ancestral series), colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
Archer, colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in. Sold
Brotherton (Ancestral series), colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
Charlotte (Ancestral series), colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel 8x8 in.
Wright (Ancestral series), colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in. Sold
Silas (Ancestral series), colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in. Sold.
Spunky, colored pencil on paper, 6x6 in. Sold.
BFF, colored pencil on paper, 6x6 in.
Fashionista, colored pencil on paper, 6x6 in. Sold.
Hearsay, colored pencil on cradled birch panel, 6x12 in.
Group Portrait I, acrylic on canvas, 24x30 in.
Eunice (Ancestral series), colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in. Sold.
Edward (Ancestral series), colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
Grace (Ancestral series), colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
Hannah (Ancestral series), colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
Fisher, colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in. Sold.
Gala, colored pencil on paper, 6x6 in. Sold.
Guardian, oil paint stick & oil pastel on paper, 6x6 in.
Lady Love, oil pastel on wood, 6x6 in.
Lady Luck, colored pencil on paper, 6x6 in.
Little Companion, colored pencil on paper, 6x6 in.
Love, acrylic on canvas, 6x6 in.
Judith (Ancestral series), colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in. Sold.
Joseph (Ancestral series) colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
Joseph II (Ancestral series), colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
John (Ancestral series), colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
Henry (Ancestral series), colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
Harry Martin (Ancestral series) colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
Mary Bunker (Ancestral series) colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in. Sold.
Margaret Amelia (Ancestral series) colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
Luvernie (Ancestral series) colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
Lt. William (Ancestral Series) colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
Mary (Ancestral series) colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in. Sold.
New World Colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
Obsessive Daydreamer, colored pencil on paper, 6x6 in.
Platonic Love, colored pencil on paper, 11x14 in.
Poet, colored pencil on paper, 6x6 in.
Queen Bee colored pencil on paper, 6x6 in.
Rachel (Ancestral series), colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel 8x8 in. Sold.
Stephen colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
Wendell (Ancestral series) colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
Sarah (Ancestral series), colored pencil & resin on cradled birch panel, 8x8 in.
Stage Fright, colored pencil on paper, 6x6 in.
Uncertain, colored pencil on paper, 6x6 in.
Spring, colored pencil on paper, 6x6 in.
Summer, colored pencil on paper, 6x6 in.
Autumn, colored pencil on paper, 6x6 in.
