“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” Henry David Thoreau

This is a nod to my dorky, daydreaming, introverted, existential 18 year-old self! Henry David Thoreau graced my high school yearbook page, and his words continue to hold a special place in my heart.
 
The icon of the simple house shape has become a metaphor for me of the secrets and stories hiding inside of a simple, stable, balanced shape: the disparity of what we know and feel versus what others see.
 
Most of my newest paintings happen in three stages: I find pages from an abandoned, discarded book that resonate with me. I glue those pages down, either as full sheets, or torn to form a beginning image. Second, I add layers of translucent color, trying to emphasize and feature the words or message that are most important to me. I find great joy in developing a deep, rich ground of colors at this stage. When those colors have dried thoroughly, I mask out important words or images that are still visible, and then build up a rich, gooey oil-painted sky on top.
 
Finally, I tug at the corners of the masked out areas, and reveal just certain pieces of the story hidden underneath. Look closely to find the words that hide in the images.