 When this painting arrived in its new home, my client’s 2 1/2 year old daughter had this to say regarding the new addition: “It’s perfect for the party!” Keep in mind there’s no “party” in the books.
She’s right about one thing though: life should be celebrated. Don't delay surrounding yourself with the people, the things & experiences that bring you joy. Surrender to Love Iron-rich Utah dirt, salt from the Great Salt Lake, foraged sawdust, local newspaper, acrylic paint, plaster and metallic pigments on canvas 48 x 36 in.  Over my lifetime I’ve had the privilege to visit Mexico several times. One of which includes attending an organic painting residency last year.
What I love about this beautiful country is the abundance in juxtaposition: Dry vs. wet, rough vs. smooth, cultured vs. wild. This contrast inspires the balance & tension I incorporate into my work, namely: maximum texture vs minimal color. Through all this contrast remains a constant, warm hospitality I experience every time I return. I am grateful for this immense, inspiring and welcoming country.  New Work | Heart Of Gold
Iron-rich Utah dirt, salt from the Great Salt Lake, foraged sawdust, and local newspaper have been combined with acrylic paint, plaster, and metallic pigments to create a textured and visually intriguing composition on canvas. The use of unconventional materials adds a unique dimension to the artwork, inviting the viewer to consider the interplay between natural and man-made elements. How Riches Come to You, She Walks with Beauty, Waking Up to Joy & The Golden Rule  Recently installed in a gorgeous Federal Heights home to commemorate new beginnings.
Feel Free acrylic & mixed media on canvas 30 x 24 in.  I create large-scale, painting-like relief sculptures. The works feature peaks and valleys, cracks, rough and smooth surfaces, brilliant and opaque elements, and are evocative of eroded landscapes, time-weathered walls, and topographical maps. They are representative of a personal map-making and grounding process that examines the physical properties of my immediate surroundings.
I was born in the coastal city of Santos, Brazil, and my family immigrated to Canada when I was ten years old–from there, I went on to move a total of forty times. The experience of being uprooted, and forced into a near-constant state of transition, adaptation, and assimilation has profoundly shaped me. Throughout these experiences, I have established relationships with these new places through my artwork; by soaking canvases in the pacific ocean off the coast of Hawaii to submitting artworks to subzero temperatures in Canada, to see the effects of the elements and environment. My current body of work is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, where I have lived for four years. Upon moving to a new place I make a point of visiting monuments and other unique natural features. From these excursions and hikes near my home, I collect materials that feel significant, like iron-rich dirt, sawdust, and charcoal for instance. Once I get in the studio, I begin layering the canvas with local newspaper and plaster, refurbished paint, and finally, the collected organic material. The process is fast and is intended to provide an environment that gives these collected materials agency to create form. The goal of this body of work is to explore themes of place, home, belonging, immigration, and the passage of time. I believe that these artworks serve as tools for orientation and provide a means for gathering information about the environment in which they are created. I aim to offer an alternative way of considering ‘place,’ and to question what it means to find and ground one’s self in new surroundings.  I am pleased to share my first completed painting of 2023. Over time, I have learned to embrace a new approach to my creative process. Instead of pushing and pulling so hard that it hurts and breaks me, I invite curiosity, playfulness, and allowance to show up in my work.
In the past, a painting like this may not have been deemed "good enough" because it didn't push me to the brink of exhaustion and madness. But today, I find beauty in its simplicity precisely because it was created with ease and effortlessness. Moving forward, I resolve to imbue this sentiment into all of my work, both on and off the canvas, for the entirety of 2023. By embracing curiosity, playfulness, and allowance, I hope to continue to create art that is both beautiful and sustainable, without sacrificing my own well-being and mental health in the process. The Way, 2023 acrylic & mixed media on canvas 28” x 22”  CAREER MILESTONE | I am beyond excited to announce that my work will appear in the April 2023 issue of Architectural Digest. This is a huge honor & a big "stamp of approval" by my contemporaries. I couldn't be more humbled and more excited.
Whether you have purchased my work, participated in one of my workshops, attended my retreats or simply show your love & support on social media, I am deeply grateful for you. I could not have done this without you. |
