La Cueva Painting

I studied with Pennsylvania painter Ann Balbirnie and later with painter Diana Dowek and printmaker Alfredo Benavidez Bedoya,in their studios in Buenos Aires, Argentina before enrolling at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, where I received my B.F.A. in 1998. In the Fall of 1999, I moved to California and was impressed deeply by the wild beauty of the Northern California landscape, soaking up the fresh air, views, picnics, the coast, campfires, wine tasting, swimming. While living in Sonoma county, I developed and exhibited several series of paintings, including the Pond, Rooted series. In 2006, after nearly seven years in Sonoma County, I moved to Oakland, in a swing back to city life, feeling invigorated by the energy of flux and blossoming potential in the city of Oakland, where I developed the Threshold, Flights, Veiled, and Nimbus series. A common theme in my work is the lyrical patterns created by natural elements such as wind, water, wings, foliage, and clouds. These natural forms ebb and flow as they fade in and out from the background. The Veiled and Nimbus series continues to develop and morph and informs my new series which is still in its nascent stages. Stay tuned for the new paintings which are a hybrid of previous themes but with a fiery palette and addition of new forms and symbols. Some of the subject matter is more recognizable than others. The forms are abstracted and stylized and inhabit a surreal environment that is open to the viewer’s interpretation. The ethereal quality of the colors and the paint application contribute to the dreamlike atmosphere of the paintings. I believe in the symbolic power of universal images and hope to engage the viewer to feel the mood and sense of place in my paintings. My goal is to create a moving visual experience that encourages the viewer’s interpretation and evokes an emotional response.