Artist's Statement

I am a self-trained artist who began painting in my late twenties. After discovering my passion for painting, I made a commitment to becoming educated in art history and exploring various artistic styles. With the goals of sharing my work and connecting visually with others, I have shown my paintings nearly 30 times throughout the Bay Area.

I view my exploration of Expressionism, Cubism, Abstractionism, Mexican Muralism, Pop, and Folk as periods of learning and searching for my own voice. I feel my most recent work transcends mere mimicry by incorporating ideas of each of the aforementioned schools, and ultimately making it my own. There are still elements in my work that reflect certain influences, but there is no longer one that is dominant.

Neither is there is one definitive message, meaning, or theme running throughout my work. I do try to add color, humor and emotion to each piece and hopefully strike some universal chord in myself and with the viewer. In my more recent paintings I have moved towards simplifying the image and have often included the title in the picture itself in order to make the meaning as powerful as possible. Simultaneously has come an evolution of building texture on the canvas. Knives, rollers, pens, scissors, newsprint, sand, and pastel crayons are a few of the tools and materials I use to construct a richer texture in an attempt to give the painting more depth and life.

The one constant in my work has been my use of colors. A large palette of vibrant colors and careful color balance runs throughout my work from my very early pieces to the present. Although the compositions are often worked out in detail beforehand, the colors are almost never determined until I am in the process of painting. Finding the right colors and color balance is, to me, the great joy of painting.

Previous Shows

· Right Angle Salon, Oakland, 2014
· Right Angle Salon, Oakland, 2013
· Gecko Gecko Restaurant, Berkeley, 2012
· Roos Cafe, Oakland, 2012
· Right Angle Salon, Oakland, 2011
· Right Angle Salon, Oakland, 2009
· Joseph Cozza Salon I, San Francisco, 2009
· Open Studios, Oakland, 2008
· Right Angle Salon, Oakland, 2008
· Seven Salon, Oakland, 2008
· Joseph Cozza Salon II, San Francisco, 2007
· Dublin Framing & Gallery, Dublin, 2007
· Joseph Cozza Salon I, San Francisco, 2007
· Rockridge Library, Oakland, 2006
ˇ Mneme Gallery, Vallejo, 2005
· Luka's Restaurant, Oakland, 2005
· Foothill College, Los Altos, 2004
ˇ 333 Bush Street, San Francisco, 2004
ˇ The Jazz House, Berkeley, 2004
ˇ L'amxy Tea Bar, Oakland, 2003
ˇ Chow Restaurant, San Francisco, 2003
ˇ Papa Toby's Art Cafe, San Francisco, 2002
ˇ Crocker Galleria, San Francisco, 2002
ˇ Catherine Finn Gallery, Tiburon, 2002
ˇ Liminal Gallery, Oakland, 2002
ˇ Shenla Asian Arts, San Francisco, 2002
ˇ Park Chow Restaurant, San Francisco, 2002
ˇ San Francisco Open Studios, 2001
ˇ 17th Street Gallery, San Francisco, 2000
ˇ Spike Design Gallery, San Francisco, 2000
ˇ Columbus Office Building Gallery, San Francisco, 2000
ˇ Chow Restaurant, San Francisco, 2000
ˇ Park Chow Restaurant, San Francisco, 2000
ˇ Triton Hotel, San Francisco, 1999
ˇ Four Walls Gallery, San Francisco, 1999
ˇ Milatano Gallery, San Francisco, 1999
ˇ Fruitful Grounds Café, San Francisco, 1999
ˇ Blue Danube Café, San Francisco, 1999
ˇ Flying Fish Restaurant, Chicago, 1998
ˇ Oakside Café, San Francisco, 1998
ˇ Open Closet Gallery, San Francisco, 1998
ˇ Firewood Restaurant, San Francisco, 1998
ˇ Fruitful Grounds Café, San Francisco, 1998
ˇ Mr. Ralph's Restaurant, San Francisco, 1997
ˇ Tenderloin Group Art Show, San Francisco, 1997
ˇ Student Group Show Fort Mason, San Francisco, 1996
ˇ Baker Street Bistro, San Francisco, 1995
ˇ Crepes on Cole, San Francisco, 1995
ˇ Black Mud Café, San Francisco, 1995
ˇ Dog Ear Café, San Francisco, 1994
ˇ Footworks Dance Studio Gallery, 1994
ˇ Blue Dog Coffee Shop, San Francisco, 1994
ˇ Muddy Waters Café, San Francisco, 1993