artist in residence

FINE ART

"As a painter, I am most interested in capturing the emotional complexity of humanity. Art has been a therapeutic tool for me since childhood. Growing up in an Irish, working-class family in a slowly deteriorating steel town in Western Pennsylvania, I was discreetly intrigued by the social and racial diversity in my community.

 

While other art forms entered my life at various stages, most notably dance and theatre, painting people remains my greatest form of expression. My time in the theatre allowed me the opportunity to work in Europe where I was introduced to the German expressionists. I am inspired by the work of Soutine, Schiele, Kokoschka, Beckmann and Lucien Freud to name a few. I admire their unique ability, with heavy use of paint, to dissect the human psyche on their canvas. In this unprecedented political climate, I see my work evolving to reflect more poignantly my social and political beliefs."