Two distinct styles of art that engage me most are architecture and figurative work. My first passion developed while pursuing an architecture degree at the Rhode Island School of Design. I became more fascinated with fantasy and visionary architecture than with the practicality of the profession. The poetics of space intrigued me, and visionary architects like Piranesi and Violet Le Duc became an inspiration to my work. After graduation, I began my visual journey into an imaginative use of perspective and architectural abstractions on canvas. My desire was to create visual trips for the mind into a fantasy realm, as I experimented with geometrical spacial configurations. Working spontaneously with inspiration from unknown forces, it seemed like the landscapes I painted came from somewhere other than this earth. Over time, I understood that I was channeling visionary cities and architecture from different realms of existence.

After completing my first series of architectural pieces, I felt that I needed to move towards a new direction. I had no conscious plan of the path that lay before me. This process began with a small sketch pad and black ink, swirling in circles until a face started to appear. I could sense right away that I wanted to let the figures emerge on their own, and that I would not use a model. The process is spontaneous as I start with their eyes to discover a personality, which then inspires me to proceed with the rest of their form. Different faces and costumes appear, reflective of various historical periods or realms that I do not research or plan. At first, these personae I create are always unfamiliar to me. Their character and personalities eventually become well defined, and they appear without my conscious effort. After spending many hours getting to know them while I draw, the essence of their personality becomes clear to me. I feel I know them intimately, but I don’t know where they originate. I am truly surprised by how unique they all are.

When I draw, I step aside and let my characters lead the way. It is my job as a medium to listen, let them pass through me, and tell their story. I create two types of figures. Some figures are human souls I feel have lived during other lifetimes, and other figures are spirit guides that have not incarnated. I draw the human figures with details to help explain the context of their lifetime, and I sense an urgency they feel to be acknowledged by our world. I believe this is because their lives were not validated somehow at the time in which they lived, and they are working through me to be seen and appreciated. I create them in varying expressions like contemplation, suffering, peace and joy. Once the painting is completed, I discover a soul that I begin to develop compassion for, and I am taught empathy for these characters and the human spirit, by absorbing their emotions and vulnerabilities. The spiritual entities I draw are like benevolent teachers descending into my consciousness, in order to transmit messages of peace, healing, and unconditional love. I communicate and draw these messages by the emotions, gestures and expressions on their faces.

I like to think of this work as a collaboration between worlds, and a joint expression of love and healing as I bring these figures into existence. It feels like I have a responsibility to those who choose to visit. In seeing the human souls who emerge, I am taught to appreciate the beautiful tapestry of our diversity, and the importance of sharing our stories with each other, patiently giving everyone a voice. Through the spiritual guides that I draw, it has also been revealed to me that our world is intricately tied to guidance, support and grace. It is my hope that spiritual art can open our minds to forces which are greater than ourselves.