Photography has been my passion since early childhood. My motivation is to discover and capture the beauty, even when it is not always readily self-evident, that surrounds us continuously in all areas of our everyday lives. I believe the finest images are those that are serious yet playful, aesthetically appealing yet a bit quirky. As both an artist and an admirer, my favorite photographs tend to be ones whose contents speak loudly for themselves — even when it is not immediately clear exactly what they are saying. They seek to inspire their viewers to wrestle with their intriguing content and, as a result, ponder various aspects of our surrounding world in new and unique ways.

After developing a strong interest in typography while attending Kendall College of Art and Design, and after a career as a Graphic Designer, Art Director, and Creative Director, I decided to develop a new style of art based solely on letter forms that create images.

I’ve combined my passion for history and visual art. I have created specific history or biography lessons that both communicate information about the subject as well as an interesting concept to visualize the subject. Each piece is meant to be read as well as viewed for its visual value.

The typography that forms each subject is usually interesting biomaterial and well-known quotes or in the case of my Mount Rushmore series, Presidential speeches or letters they have written.

Some of my artistic influences are Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Leroy Nieman, Peter Max, Edward Hopper, and architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

I create my artwork to communicate feelings and ideas that cannot easily be expressed well in words. As I explore the use of light and shade through color and movement, I recognize that the control we all want to exert in our lives is often paired with uncontrollable growth and change, usually with emotional responses. The immense beauty in those emotions intrigues me. I also find beauty in abstract landscapes.

Much of my artwork is painted reverse on glass or plexiglass. Other artworks are on synthetic paper. Most often I use alcohol inks because they can be deep or transparent. They can be controlled and sometimes, totally uncontrolled. A challenge that I enjoy.

I create what I feel, not what I see.

Although I think of my art as extremely personal, I believe the themes are somewhat universal. The subject matter will likely include inequalities pertaining to gender or social status; the state of education; the failings of organized religion, faith, and spirituality versus religion; or any current event that sparks an idea.

I think art should change the world. With each new canvas or page, I endeavor to change my small part of the world for the better. With each new idea or concept, I hope to send an ever-increasing ripple effect that could someday wash away the recurring atrocities and injustices that tend to plague humankind.

I am often inspired by things I see on TV, the internet, or hear on the radio. However, more often than not, my own reality becomes the subject of my work–expelling my darkest fears, revealing pent-up frustrations, or releasing my deepest hopes.

As both a photographer and video producer, I enjoy collaborating with highly talented individuals to create innovative art.  To achieve this goal, I take the following three steps. First, I inspire my portrait subjects to unlock their own personal beauty and unique style.  Second, I experiment and encourage my photo subjects to experiment with different wardrobes, lighting, emotions, postures, and scenic backgrounds.  Finally, as a creative team, both my photo subjects and I endeavor to captivate our audience into entering our magical world.  In short, we create photography to engage people in our distinctive narrative.

Inherently, we are interested in observing others as a way of understanding ourselves. My work is inspired by this curiosity and invites the viewer to participate. These works are individualistic narratives that explore personage through self-presentation, facial expressions, and gestures. They often inspect the under-revered, and appreciate the subject’s presence and dignity, giving pause to honor the person.

The aesthetic is assertive and the color is divorced from naturalism. Skin color is therefore eliminated which for me is metaphorical for the hope that society aspires to, and achieves equality among races and other kinds of human differences. The work is meant to honor the entirety of humanity—not just one section of the population or kind of person.

With some of these works, I’ve been experimenting with texture and the physical quality of the surface by using alternative recycled materials such as pieced-together bubble mailers and paper bags. I’ve found them to be exciting and sturdy surfaces and believe these media add a uniquely interesting and environmentally friendly component to the work.

Using and combining color and pattern is euphoric to me and has always come very naturally and instinctively. I have a strong visceral, and nearly synesthesia-like reaction to it in that I can almost taste it and hear it. It’s as if one sense gets overloaded and spills into another.

Because my work at its core is about humankind’s understanding of itself, studying human nature, and its relationship to storytelling, I tend to envelop my portraits with color and pattern because the work venerates the individual with the ultimate sentiment that we try to live in a more socially and environmentally just world, encouraging people to appreciate and love one another, and to in turn understand the importance of social justice and respect for our earth and all its creatures.

Since forever women have been the subject of great art, but rarely were we allowed to create great art. As a female artist living in the 21st Century, I find great inspiration in the female icons of the past. Famous women from Marie Antoinette to Miley Cyrus, have served as profound sources of inspiration for me, due to their distinctive styles and unique spirits. In my art practice I explore the contrast between the public portrayal of the women I admire and their true selves. My aim is to discover how the images of these influential women, given by pop culture, impact and shape my own artistic impressions of them. Just like the women I paint, I am an unconventional woman in the eyes of my society and with my art practice I want to invite viewers to look past the glittering images and see the depth and complexity of the women I paint, myself included.

Ultimately, my work serves as a reflection and exploration of this complex dynamic. While my intention is to showcase the vibrant and visually captivating image that pop culture has crafted around the women I idolize, I also remain very conscious of the underlying darkness that hides beneath the surface of their seemingly lighthearted images.

As a Finn, I grew up on satire, dark humor, and happy endings and that is well reflected in my work. At first glance, my cartoonish mixed media paintings may depict my subject’s pop culture image perfectly, which is usually colorful, ditzy, and lacking in substance, but I am actually satirizing our perceptions of my female heroines. We are all guilty of prioritizing a person’s image over the narrative. But whether the viewer understand this duality or not, I still want them to have a good time when viewing my artwork.

I choose to work with acrylics, rhinestones and glitters because their vibrant hues and plastic textures are well suited for creating eye-catching artworks that are unique to me, and perfect for the subject matter.

 

I would say that my favorite type of photography would have to be “nature and wildlife”. That is where my passion lies. I enjoy both capturing a beautiful landscape, as well as an intricate close-up of a bumblebee gathering nectar from a flower. Another interest is photographing architecture and objects from the past that have been forgotten, capturing their beauty, and preserving their history through my camera. I enjoy combining items I’ve photographed into a single image to create a magical, dreamlike image.

Participating in juried photography shows is something I find rewarding and enjoyable. My ultimate satisfaction is creating something of beauty for others to enjoy and feel a connection with.

My favorite type of photography would have to be “nature and wildlife”. That is where my passion lies. I enjoy capturing a beautiful landscape and an intricate close-up of a bumblebee gathering nectar from a flower. Another interest is photographing architecture and objects from the past that have been forgotten, capturing their beauty, and preserving their history through my camera. I enjoy combining items I’ve photographed into a single image to create a magical, dreamlike composition. When I create my compositions they can also express sadness or darkness, depending on what emotion I am feeling at the time and what I’m trying to say with my photo. My ultimate satisfaction is creating something beautiful for others to enjoy and connect with.

Participating in juried photography shows I find very rewarding and enjoyable. I’ve been in exhibitions across the tristate area for many years and have found it fulfilling to meet other artists and art enthusiasts. Photography is an important part of my life, a way to express myself uniquely.