"Thistle"

I create mixed media landscapes that use meticulously collected paper collage pieces including maps, newspaper, photos, symbols, menus, and more.  These pieces are arranged and glued down in a thoughtful design to explore how I "see" and experience the nature around me and the God who made it.  Once sealed, I use thin layers of oil paint to create the landscape image which at times cloaks the collage and at others, accentuates it and gives it new meaning.  My painting process is a visual journal of my journey and how I relate to the world around me.   

The landscape images I choose to paint are always connected to me in either an experiential fashion and/or emotive.  They are quiet, contemplative sanctuaries where I find purpose, meaning and most of all, love.