Artist Statement
I am drawn to the creative process as an avenue to explore and reveal the unseen. I favor oil paint for this process because of its inherent richness and potential to last for generations. I like to think of the long life a painting might have as I am painting it.
Beginning with photographs that I take, I intend to portray the invisible energies that are at play all around us, especially in nature. Early on in the process, the reference photos are abandoned and intuition takes over. The imagined spirit of nature comes out in shapes and forms that are not planned, but emerge from the subconscious. Minute detail is intended to invite the viewer in for a close look.
By making visible what can be detected but not seen in the physical world, my goals as a painter are to remind the viewer of the deep connection we share with our planet, and heighten the appreciation of nature in our collective consciousness.
Artist Bio
Born 1984 in West Virginia
Currently living and working in southern West Virginia
Education
2009 BFA cum laude, Studio Painting, minor in Art History, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Selected Exhibitions
Feb 2016 Inaugural Juried Exhibition, Apartment Earth, Charleston, WV
Nov - Dec 2015 "Invocations" solo show, Carnegie Hall, Lewisburg, WV
May 2015 Solo show, Greenbrier Sporting Club, White Sulphur Springs, WV
Oct - Nov 2014 "Wonder Studies" solo show, Chuck Mathena Center, Princeton, WV
Oct - Nov 2014 "The Coalescent" group show, The Paine Gallery, Bluefield, WV
Sept - Oct 2014 "Feathers, Fangs, and Fur" group show, Apartment Earth, Charleston, WV
Jun - Jul 2014 "Best of West Virginia" Juried Exhibition, David L. Dickirson Gallery, Beckley, WV
Mar - May 2014 "Natural Wonder" group show, David L. Dickirson Gallery, Beckley, WV
Jun - Jul 2013 "Best of West Virginia" Juried Exhibition, David L. Dickirson Gallery, Beckley, WV
Oct 2013 "Shady" group show, Jackson Kelly Gallery, Morgantown, WV
Aug 2013 "Muse Lounge - An Art Exhibit" Beckley, WV
Jun - Jul 2013 "Best of West Virginia" Juried Exhibition, David L. Dickirson Gallery, Beckley, WV
May 2013 Solo show, HeartStrings Academy, Lewisburg, WV
Jan - Mar 2013 "Places and Spaces" group show, David L. Dickirson Gallery, Beckley, WV
May 2012 Group show, Annex Gallery, Charleston, WV
Winter 2011-12 Solo show, Vandalian, Fayetteville, WV
Winter 2011-12 Holiday Bazaar group show, Annex Gallery, Charleston, WV
Oct 2011 Trunk show, Colony Gallery at The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, WV
Sept - Nov 2011 Solo show, Pies & Pints, Charleston, WV
July 2011 "Laugh Out Loud" group show, Bunny Gunner Gallery, Pomona, CA
Feb 2011 "All U Can Eat" group show, Bunny Gunner Gallery, Pomona, CA
Winter 2010-11 "Life of Winter" solo show, Vandalian, Fayetteville, WV
July - Aug 2010 Special Guests Exhibit, Cynthia Bickey Gallery, Beckley, WV
May 2010 Solo show, MountainMade Gallery, Thomas, WV
Feb - Apr 2010 Emerging Artists Show, David L. Dickirson Gallery, Beckley, WV
Spring 2009 BFA Show, Paul Mesaros Gallery, Morgantown, WV
Awards/Grants
2016 Best in Show Award, Sixth Annual Art and Earth Juried Exhibition, Berkeley Arts Council, Martinsburg, WV
2016 Jurors' Choice Award, Inaugural Juried Exhibition, Apartment Earth, Charleston, WV
2015 Professional Development for Artists Grant, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Charleston, WV
Other Experience
Oct 2011 Painting demonstration at The Greenbrier Resort, White Sulphur Springs, WV
Aug 2010 - Aug 2011 VP of production and finish artist, A19 Inc. Ontario, CA
Winter 2009-10 Juried into Tamarack Foundation, Beckley, WV
Juried into MountainMade Foundation, Thomas, WV
Summer 2009 Mural Painting as Americorps VISTA volunteer at Convention & Visitors Bureau, Fayetteville, WV
Summer 2004 Cross-Cultural Solutions volunteer in Moshi, Tanzania
Spring 2001 Service learning semester at Court Street Gallery, Fayetteville, WV
Summer 2000 WV Governor’s School for the Arts, Huntington, WV
I am drawn to the creative process as an avenue to explore and reveal the unseen. I favor oil paint for this process because of its inherent richness and potential to last for generations. I like to think of the long life a painting might have as I am painting it.
Beginning with photographs that I take, I intend to portray the invisible energies that are at play all around us, especially in nature. Early on in the process, the reference photos are abandoned and intuition takes over. The imagined spirit of nature comes out in shapes and forms that are not planned, but emerge from the subconscious. Minute detail is intended to invite the viewer in for a close look.
By making visible what can be detected but not seen in the physical world, my goals as a painter are to remind the viewer of the deep connection we share with our planet, and heighten the appreciation of nature in our collective consciousness.
Artist Bio
Born 1984 in West Virginia
Currently living and working in southern West Virginia
Education
2009 BFA cum laude, Studio Painting, minor in Art History, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Selected Exhibitions
Feb 2016 Inaugural Juried Exhibition, Apartment Earth, Charleston, WV
Nov - Dec 2015 "Invocations" solo show, Carnegie Hall, Lewisburg, WV
May 2015 Solo show, Greenbrier Sporting Club, White Sulphur Springs, WV
Oct - Nov 2014 "Wonder Studies" solo show, Chuck Mathena Center, Princeton, WV
Oct - Nov 2014 "The Coalescent" group show, The Paine Gallery, Bluefield, WV
Sept - Oct 2014 "Feathers, Fangs, and Fur" group show, Apartment Earth, Charleston, WV
Jun - Jul 2014 "Best of West Virginia" Juried Exhibition, David L. Dickirson Gallery, Beckley, WV
Mar - May 2014 "Natural Wonder" group show, David L. Dickirson Gallery, Beckley, WV
Jun - Jul 2013 "Best of West Virginia" Juried Exhibition, David L. Dickirson Gallery, Beckley, WV
Oct 2013 "Shady" group show, Jackson Kelly Gallery, Morgantown, WV
Aug 2013 "Muse Lounge - An Art Exhibit" Beckley, WV
Jun - Jul 2013 "Best of West Virginia" Juried Exhibition, David L. Dickirson Gallery, Beckley, WV
May 2013 Solo show, HeartStrings Academy, Lewisburg, WV
Jan - Mar 2013 "Places and Spaces" group show, David L. Dickirson Gallery, Beckley, WV
May 2012 Group show, Annex Gallery, Charleston, WV
Winter 2011-12 Solo show, Vandalian, Fayetteville, WV
Winter 2011-12 Holiday Bazaar group show, Annex Gallery, Charleston, WV
Oct 2011 Trunk show, Colony Gallery at The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, WV
Sept - Nov 2011 Solo show, Pies & Pints, Charleston, WV
July 2011 "Laugh Out Loud" group show, Bunny Gunner Gallery, Pomona, CA
Feb 2011 "All U Can Eat" group show, Bunny Gunner Gallery, Pomona, CA
Winter 2010-11 "Life of Winter" solo show, Vandalian, Fayetteville, WV
July - Aug 2010 Special Guests Exhibit, Cynthia Bickey Gallery, Beckley, WV
May 2010 Solo show, MountainMade Gallery, Thomas, WV
Feb - Apr 2010 Emerging Artists Show, David L. Dickirson Gallery, Beckley, WV
Spring 2009 BFA Show, Paul Mesaros Gallery, Morgantown, WV
Awards/Grants
2016 Best in Show Award, Sixth Annual Art and Earth Juried Exhibition, Berkeley Arts Council, Martinsburg, WV
2016 Jurors' Choice Award, Inaugural Juried Exhibition, Apartment Earth, Charleston, WV
2015 Professional Development for Artists Grant, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Charleston, WV
Other Experience
Oct 2011 Painting demonstration at The Greenbrier Resort, White Sulphur Springs, WV
Aug 2010 - Aug 2011 VP of production and finish artist, A19 Inc. Ontario, CA
Winter 2009-10 Juried into Tamarack Foundation, Beckley, WV
Juried into MountainMade Foundation, Thomas, WV
Summer 2009 Mural Painting as Americorps VISTA volunteer at Convention & Visitors Bureau, Fayetteville, WV
Summer 2004 Cross-Cultural Solutions volunteer in Moshi, Tanzania
Spring 2001 Service learning semester at Court Street Gallery, Fayetteville, WV
Summer 2000 WV Governor’s School for the Arts, Huntington, WV
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