I render scenes from generally unremarkable life events that bring me joy when I first see them. Though mundane, they reach out with a harmonious balance of composition and color, and demand my attention and respect. Quiet and wordless, they imply a visual narrative and ask for consideration beyond a quick read. No two people and their experiences are the same, and as a result, their interpretations will vary as well.

Transporting these moments in time onto canvas gives me ownership over every element in a way photographic reproduction could not, and the level of control I crave in all things. My recent source material has come from old photographs, focusing on the power of women and girls living their lives without immediate concern, or arguably with dismissal, of society and its pressures and expectations. It is my hope that these works draw attention to the innate strength women and children possess that may be overlooked, ignored, and even suppressed.

Some critics have argued that realism is an outdated relic, perfected centuries ago and more recently replaced with photographic reproduction. Now more than ever (at least in my short lifetime), reality itself is attacked and called into question. With facts considered “lies” and lies deemed “truth,” it is time for change, and a good time for contemporary realism to rise.