Watercolor for me is a uniquely flexible and contemporary means of expression. The translucent layers have an inherent luminosity that speaks directly to the silvery, poignant light of the Bay Area. A simple composition with minimal amount of marks and washes creates illusions both ethereal and concrete. Through watercolor, I found an affinity with the early schools of Chinese Cha'n painters whose materials and landscapes emphasize intuition, imagination, and the moods of nature.

In my landscapes, I am drawn to the contrasting light of dawn or dusk which collapses spatial depth and creates distinct negative and positive forms. Working with the silhouettes and inconsistent edges are initially visually satisfying. Yet, seen from another perspective, the interlining of the silhouettes becomes an edge that infuses an ethereal space with physical elements. From here I contemplate larger dualities such as: tangible and intangible, spiritual and material, and empty and full.

I walk daily, taking one of two paths in either Golden Gate Park or Lands End. The “everydayness” of this ritual helps me engage recent memory, continually shifting something that has just past to the present. Over time, the “sameness” points out the smaller, subtle changes and transient conditions, such as sunlight, fog, wind, and cycles of botanical growth. Cumulatively, my studio practice is an unfolding narrative, involving sustained attention, duration, and ritual.