Dedicated to Lovers and Friends who know how to Soar

For 18 years I have painted everyday and dreamt most nights. My paintings are from my dreams. The intention and reason why I painted this body of work was my impulsive desire to suddenly paint and record my haunting, but wondrous dreams and personal fantasies. In my dreams I awake in Wingland. The figures are my closest companions and friends and personal fantasies.

In my dreams I awake in Wingland. The winged figures are my companions and friends… friends who have significantly influenced my desire to put down paint and tell a story.

In Wingland, everyone flies. In my dreams, I fly backwards and pull out images from sweet memories, reinterpret and imagine them with me in this ethereal space. We laugh a lot.

In my dreams, there are stories and images of ambiguity, but with just enough evidence to almost tell the whole story. The story of romance and companions, secretly together in public places.

With these images there is no tension or fearful struggle. All is right. But that is not all there is in these pictures. Much more is implied. But in this new body of work, I pay more attention to imagination and my curiosity. I am willing to paint what seems new and bizarre to me. The paintings in this exhibit were developed over two uninterrupted weeks of painting in Mendocino, California, an artists’ retreat. No cell phones, no computers, no news. Quiet times along the ocean bluffs. I watched soaring, gliding, floating birds of all sizes and shapes. I felt so content with this moment. The freedom of the winged creatures out in open space. I felt so content with this moment. The freedom of the winged creatures out in open space seemed to clear out my mind clutter and chatter. This euphoric mood became my closest companion during those two weeks.

With this inner peace my creative juices began flying all over the canvas. I painted quickly with spontaneous brushstrokes of color and drew images from memory. I was not so interested in perfecting or having my paintings as “entertainment.” I relaxed and moved paint around until figures with wings appeared.

Standing back and away, I noticed human shapes with wings unfolding and flying above the stars. Some figures morphed into shadowy, elusive messengers-- messengers with tidings of immeasurable happiness, like the wide variety of birds that constantly fly in and out of my studio. My personal pleasures came from being able to take facts, memory and sensory feelings and turn them into a dreamy visual story.

My motivation for my paintings are influenced by Egyptian paintings, African sculptures, Japanese gardens and Greek dramas. These classic art forms and contemporary art moves me to connect them all and see what happens.

My personal growth in painting draws from my curiosity for reinventing. The time spent painting plunges me deeply into an arena of constant surprises and unpredictable results. I was after newness but what emerged was art that was not for real. As some wise soul once said, “Art doesn’t imitate reality; one of the damned things is enough.”

See you in my dreams!