About me-in love with painting….

I am thrilled to offer this website so that I can share these paintings with you-they represent expressions of color, texture, and form based on what inspires. Each painting feels like a little miracle for me.  I am ferociously self-taught but I am always experimenting, learning, and playing with paints.  An occasional workshop or video, art books, talks with gallery owners and staff, art store clerks, and best of all other artists, all inform what I do.  I began painting with acrylics, which I love, especially Golden fluid acrylics.  Acrylic paints are vibrant, fun to play with, and create cool effects.  And then I was showing a gallery owner pictures of some my paintings and he suggested I add a bit of oil paint to my work.  And so I did, and therein lies the beginning of my love affair with oils-so buttery and rich in color and tone.  It’s worth waiting for oils to dry.  Eventually painting with oils led to my discovery of cold wax medium.  Cold wax is crazy beautiful and perfect for lots of layering and messing around, as well as more realistic portrayals of what I am seeing or dreaming about these days. While my paintings may connect with a certain place, idea, or inspiration, the work always evolves to find its own voice as I approach painting with a great deal of curiosity and openness. I love to see where a painting will go rather than impose a strict idea of what it should be.

I’ve participated in several juried shows, most recently at the Virginia Beach Art Center (2020), Artful Lawyer (2019; Blacksburg, VA) and Floyd Center for the Arts (2018; Floyd, VA).  You can also view some of my work at The Matrix Gallery (Blacksburg, VA) or Gunpowder Springs (Palisades Restaurant, Eggleston, VA) and The Global Arts Gallery (Patagonia, AZ).

See something you like but you prefer a different layout or it’s already sold? No worries…just contact me. I welcome commissions and am happy to discuss your fine art needs.  

Enjoy!  Jade