Artist Statement:I have always had an an affinity for rendering the likeness of the figure, whether it manifests itself through a tactile or digital medium. There are psychological connections that exist between humans that do not exist with other animate or inanimate subjects; an unstated understanding between the viewer and the viewed. Sometimes the viewer is confronted by the subject, and in other instances he/she becomes a voyeur with the subject unaware of the audience. While constructing a proportional sensibility and continual refinement of mark making, my pallete intentionally diverges far from local color in an effort to challenge expectations and intrigue the onlooker. I seek a balance between the raw, gestural nature of a sketch, and the refinement one expects of the human form. Portraying the figure is continually a challenge, whether capturing a particular pose or in the process of painting itself. I am intrigued by the nuances of the human form and enjoy both the struggle and the fluidity that exists within a successful composition.