1.What resources do you use for your ideas?

I use resources that are close to home, which is very evident in my current work. Art is extremely personal to me, so when I create something I want to view it as an addition to who I am. My current series “Nostalgia” for instance is based around the idea of preserving the past, with the photographs form my grandmother’s dollhouse being transcribed through paint. My resources are essentially my surroundings.

2. What motivates you to make art?

Its something I’ve been doing my entire life, it’s almost like a necessity for my sanity. When I began college I was a pre-med major with no time for anything but biology. It was an unproductive year in which I struggled emotionally. When I switched majors to art and began utilizing my creative outlet I knew that art was my calling.

3. How do you use color, form, and other dynamics in your work?

Color and space, or at least a sense of depth, are two very important features of my paintings. Experimental color schemes that evoke uncomfortable moods are often what I find to be most interesting in achieving different aspects of depth. This can be seen especially in my “Nostalgia” series. Form, or an interest in creating planes, is a technique that I am currently working on and developing in my “Wave” series. I’m using shapes separated by color and value to create a wide variety of planes within a single work.

4. How do you view your craftsmanship?

I believe I have the ability to create a straight edge on a work but I am mainly interested in using the freedom of abstraction and brushstroke to construct loose paintings that evoke movement.

5. What do you consider to be your strengths?

I believe that my ability to create a wide range of works that utilize different perspectives and techniques as well as media is a strength that I implement throughout my work. Speed, or the ability to sustain high productivity is also something that I practice which reflects positively in my work.

6. Are there skills you feel need further development?

I believe that as an artist I am constantly developing. Everything can always use improvement, which Is why I must keep a consistent level of productivity to better myself.

7. How does your work relate to art historical precedents and contemporary trends?

My paintings rely heavily on the influence of expressionism, but my content I feel has a modern abstractionist aesthetic

8. What are your expectations for yourself over the next five years?

I hope to be fortunate enough to work in a gallery and actively display work throughout the art community. I expect to graduate in 2015 and then find my niche in the artist world.

9. Why do you want to be an artist?

For me there is no other option. I am happiest when I am creating and thinking of new ideas, period. Art to me is part of my routine, studying it, looking at it, analyzing it, creating it are all important to me and my future career.