In my latest paintings, despite the intense movement of marks, I can compare the compositions to so many calming references from everyday life.

As I look at several of my newer works, I can see the perspective of laying under a tree and looking up through the leaves, the texture of the fabric on my mother's sewing table, and the citrus peels that fall around me in winter as I devour my favorite orange.

In this painting, Butter on Toast, the shapes, and layering of the marks remind me of butter spread with a knife over the crunchy surface of a fresh piece of toasted sourdough. Immediately, the sounds and scenery of a slow morning come to mind, and I can taste the simple and satisfying first bite of bread.

When I began this piece, I wasn’t intentionally trying to reference butter. If anything, I saw birds flapping across my canvas (and I still do). But as I was naming the work, this new imagery came to mind, and I was in love with the humor and lightheartedness of a name like Butter on Toast. So I decided to lean in. 

As fresh toast brings comfort to my kitchen in the mornings, I hope this painting will bring you a similar feeling of coziness and warmth.