(This statement refers to my most recent oil paintings. Individual art pages have project statements for each portion of my career)
As a child, I found myself constantly interested in the imaginary worlds of books and animation, using them to transport myself out of the pains of real life. As I grew up I found this same feeling when I began to learn to knit. Magically creating something from yarn and needles gave me a feeling that I hadn’t felt since my childhood: freedom.
Today I am recreating these childhood worlds through my paintings of knitted forms within an imaginary environment. What once began as a direct nod to the scenes from animated movies has since evolved into a more abstract representation, with the exploration of color, light and form taking priority. Color is the most important part of my artistic process, and this new series of works have all begun with a specific palette in mind, allowing the colors to play together on the canvas. The use of light has been a part of my works since 2017, when I began painting my knitted forms glowing from within. My most recent works from 2021-forward nod back to my love of all things Disney, with color schemes pulled directly from the scenes of their iconic songs and words from these songs arranged uniquely into the title.
While the general concept of the floating forms has not changed much since 2017, the forms themselves have, each becoming a more three-dimensional object that truly effects the environment it is in. Color, light and form all work together to create a space that transports the viewer to a world only imagined within the subconscious.