1. Artist Statement
My work is a reflection of my inner journey as I live my life. My belief is that when one is awake,
living an enriched life is a constantly changing emotional landscape. When I feel passionately,
I paint what I feel, be it beauty, whimsy, trauma, doubt, disappointment, empowerment, anger,
confusion… or so much more.
I started out painting figures then moved to landscapes. My early work was compared to the
Fauves and Impressionists. And, according to one reviewer, one of my early paintings, “... lies
somewhere between Surrealism and the paintings of Eric Fischl”.*
Painting is a full body experience for me. I always stand. My canvases have grown in size as my
experience has grown, and over time my technique has loosened, mirroring my own maturation.
I use color - or the absence of it - dramatically. Many say color defines my style.
These three paintings expose some of my inner landscape:
• “Riverbank” depicts that brooding time late in the day when shadow creeps into
the edge of uncertainty, even while the sky remains blue.
• “Success at Work” expresses my experience working with mentally ill adults
in an art studio setting imbedded within a corporate environment.
• “Shelter” is a search for safety and home after an unexpected loss.
The early exposure and long influence of Catholic school, Alan Watts, and Walt Whitman created
a life long quest for spiritual understanding. Georgia O’Keeffe’s passion for independence, Corita
Kent’s social consciousness and gusto for life, Wolf Kahn’s wonderful simultaneous use of color
and abstraction, and Howard Hodgkin’s use of bold color and abstract representation of life
situations, have all inspired and informed me in my art making.
*Joan Rose, “Big Island Art Guild: Spring Arts Festival”, Honolulu Advertiser, May 23,1993
Xo Terra
7164 E. Nevada Drive • Hereford, AZ 85615
xo@xoterra.com • 520-366 -1234
www.xoterra.com