My lifelong struggle with perfectionism is the core from which my paintings emerge. Chasing perfection limits creativity. Through my artistic practice, I dispel the myth that imperfections diminish beauty and I strive to demonstrate how flaws and defects provide cracks through which originality seeps. My painting technique and subject matter have developed through a natural progression of learning about myself, finding my voice and expressing it through art.

I begin a painting by applying a variety of composites such as black lava and tempered glass to the surface. Instead of traditional brushes and palette knives, I use my favorite mark-making tools: my hands, found objects and discarded plastic. I first used a credit card to create art as a symbolic act to put plastic to better use. Now the rectangular piece of plastic is my tool of choice to sculpt, carve and manipulate paint into a visually intriguing texture.

I try to capture the toll of perfectionism by incorporating circles into my paintings. The circle, nature’s only perfectly balanced object, often appears within repetitive patterns and thick, imperfect layers of paint. Creating rich textures, I emulate my deep feelings and emotional scars that come from chasing perfection.

My paintings convey the transformative process from perfection to imperfection – and rebirth through creative expression.