The mission statement behind my painting practice is to expose painful and embarrassing realities in a matter-of-fact visual manner as a means of acceptance through serenity. I have struggled with feeling lonely and disconnected from others for as long as I can remember—I can't be sure whether these feelings stem from being adopted, a depressive, or simply an unbearably shy person but somehow, painting helps. In past work I have examined my own sexual politics, the expectations/myths associated with being an orphan, the complexities of female companionship, and the violence of childhood. I paint about my parents, sister, husband, lovers, friends, and myself (with names/species sometimes changed to protect privacy), and while the subject matter is personal I always hope viewers can find some part of themselves in the more revealing narratives.

In this group of new paintings, A Jealous Person, I examine what I consider to be one of my most damaging personality flaws—jealousy. Recent conversations and situations with loved ones necessitated I look at this issue, and it has been both enlightening and embarrassing. In My Sister's Bush Was Glorious And Full And The Color Of Campfire Flames While Mine, Still Struggling Through Puberty, Was Patchy And Mousy And In Her Presence I Felt Like An Unfinished Drawing I consider how the presence of my powerhouse of a sister makes me feel like an outsider within the family. In another, I Am Jealous Of Everyone You Have Ever Been With And There Have Been Many, And Then I Find Out Some Of Them Were Squirters And I Am Undone By This Knowledge. It Weighs On Me Like A Stone, I fret about a younger lover's past and my own frustration with myself over these feelings. I hope that by airing these unflattering aspects of my personality I am taking a step toward correcting them, or at the very least letting my good intentions be known. I also hope viewers can identify with some facet of these depicted envies but if not—well then, I am jealous.