About
For over sixty years, I’ve painted the world around me—friends, neighbors, strangers at parties, people mid-conversation, cooking, laughing, playing games, or simply being together. I think of these works as portraits of social spaces, layered with memory, place, and connection. In many cases, I’ve photographed people I know during everyday moments and later painted from those images, always with a sense of deep affection and curiosity. I've been surprised over the years at how varied the reactions can be—some feel seen and celebrated, while others are less comfortable being depicted. Personally, I’ve always felt honored to be painted by another artist, so it’s never occurred to me that someone might feel exposed or uneasy. But I understand that being painted is an intimate experience; it can stir up all kinds of feelings. I’ve never stopped believing in the value of documenting the people and the community that shaped me. My work is rooted in where I’m from and in what I’ve lived through—and that includes both the joy and the occasional tension that comes with telling the truth of a place.