Snowy Grate

As an artist, I create paintings and art objects as a way to interpret my surroundings and to re-contextualize everyday encounters. I am interested in representing quiet, mundane, everyday encounters and humorous, uncanny scenes that you might find at home, on a walk or in an artist’s studio.

I painted "Snowy Grate" during a Winter Residency at Penland School of Craft in North Carolina. Painting this scene tested my endurance to paint in below freezing temperatures. I noticed this snow-covered grate on the way to my studio early one morning then rushed back to capture the scene. Painting this scene was an interesting challenge. The wind kept blowing the snow, changing the composition and the 17 degree air was freezing my oil paints. I quickly blocked in the shadow shapes and colors needed to capture the moment and I finished the painting in the (much warmer) studio.