"Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again"
-C.S. Lewis
Fables, folklore, and fairy tales provide a rich cast of characters and narratives in which I create juxtapositions and create stories that relate to the human condition. Just as a collage is a collection or combination of various things, my paintings are pieced together. Patterns laid out, characters chosen and a scene pulled from no particular place or time as a stage.
I am heavily inspired by tattoo, scrimshaw, and folk art in general. I use black outline often; Old children's book illustrations inspire a paper doll feel. I layer acrylics and glazes on vintage book covers, and raw boards as well as canvas and paper, as well as collage elements directly from the books themselves.