Although I experimented with striped drawings in high school, I didn’t realize they would evolve into a true passion until a few years later. I’m fascinated by how color schemes can transform simple stripes into something entirely new and expressive. By thoughtfully arranging color and pattern, I reimagine subjects through stripes, giving them fresh life and visual impact. I’m always searching for new forms, ideas, and moments to reinterpret through the lens of color and line. Ultimately, I find and paint the joy.
I paint dogs in stripes to encourage us to see them not just as animals in our lives, but as vital parts of our culture. The use of stripes reflects how deeply integrated they’ve become in our lives. By highlighting the unique details of each dog’s presence and amplifying them through color and pattern, I create portraits that are as individual as the animals themselves. Each striped depiction becomes a celebration of personality, connection, and companionship.
I paint in oil. All my canvases are hand stretched and prepped.
Education:
The School of the Art Institute Chicago BFA
College of DuPage Associates in Science
It’s all about how everything fits together and how to define something with stripes. Looking close up at a Van Gogh painting, he had such a diverse pallet and somehow it all fits together.
Though I had done quite a few striped drawings in high school, I didn’t realize it would become my passion until a few years later. Stripes alone are just stripes but put them together in a strategic way and they become something new.
Comment by Curator Kristen Woodward:
These dog portraits are quite remarkable, as they capture an affectionate tone without relying on sentimentality or romanticized depictions for visual gratification. The striking pattern imparts intricate cross contouring, making the heads beautiful sculptural objects as well as portrayals of responsive, sentient beings. I’m also struck by the apparent smoothness of the surface. At first glance I assumed they were digitally manipulated rather than painted. The blended gradation of color and value activate the negative space without interrupting the movement of linear movement in and around the head. While the series offers nuanced shifts in frontal poses, I prefer the directness of Chaco 2 and Linus. Rather than a casual directness associated with pet photos, they evoke an unwavering and intense communication
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1995 with a BFA.
Dark Sky’s bar in Flagstaff AZ.