Someone asked how much of my heart I pour into my paintings.

When I was younger, art was a way for me to document things. I remember a specific time, a specific show, when I realized that I could tell my personal stories through my art. I could say the things I hadn’t dared to put into words. Putting them into images somehow felt safer and less confining. Words can be so specific and one dimensional. Words can feel cold and harsh.

Through shapes and colors, I may tell the same story, but it can be as symbolic as I choose. It requires the viewer to engage and bring their own words.

I use both words and pictures now, but what I offer is my heart.