I paint because it makes me happy. When I paint, I feel like I can fly and I am transported to a universe of calm and serenity. When I paint, I feel infinite.
Art transcends time and space. I begin a piece by recalling a theme, emotion or moment: an exotic flower, an elegant shoe, a wave that I watched melt into the shore... I recall the emotion of the moment and try to transfer it to the canvas; documenting the emotion stroke by stroke, giving it a new sense and a new life.
A pattern emerges in my work and this pattern is color. When I work with color, I am reminded of its strength in conveying emotion. Color has the power to soothe, or excite. I use this tool to create specific moods in my paintings, thus creating individual universes within each piece.
When my work is going well, I am filled with a sense of peace and well being. I know a piece is done when I look at it and I feel complete. Each painting is born from a moment I have lived, an object I have seen or an emotion I have felt. When a piece is finished, I can tell because the piece takes on a life of its own.
When people see my work, I'd like them to pause and appreciate the little moments in life. I'd like them to feel soothed and transported to that place of serenity and infinity. I'd like them to remember the last time they where happy and associate that moment with my painting.
My current work evolves from my environment. Originally from Montreal, Canada, I have been living in Panama since 2008. This extreme change of environment and culture has shaped my work in a way no teacher can. Living in a foreign country means constantly alternating between challenges and discoveries. The biggest discovery of this journey has been that when you leave everything behind and venture into the unknown, you somehow end up finding yourself.
I am attempting to live and paint this tropical dream as best I can. While navigating through this land of exotic aromas, alluring flavors and enticing rhythms has not been without its challenges, it has made me a better person and a better artist.