To Insure Domestic Tranquility

This series presents the paradox and tension between the elegant and solid structures upon which our country was founded, and their illusion of tranquility. Despite guarantees of safety in our homes and public places, our lives are too often filled with anxiety, isolation, transience, melancholy, and discord, illuminating a world unsettled and unmoored. Safe refuge is no longer guaranteed. In the creation of these works my primary influences are: the paradoxical and dreamy narratives of Magic Realism; contemporary cinematography and those 'in-between' moments; and the visually stunning art of 17th-century Dutch Masters. In their small paintings, the placement of the figure within the interior space and the dramatic use of chiarascuro, color, perspective and harmony serve to illuminate the harmonious, emotional lives of their subjects. While adhering to the standards of these earlier masters' composition and design, my tableaux suggest the discord and heartbreak threatening our elegant and solid traditions. My contemporary scenes harken to these earlier masters, yet are created with modern tools that composite traditional photography and imagined realities.