What You See Is What You See is an on-going series of evocative abstract Procion dye drawings. Using a variety of techniques to make marks on paper, my 2-D forms take both recognizable and ambiguous shapes. I often rely on pareidolia, the psychological phenomenon of recognizing familiar patterns and forms, to guide me to a finished drawing. Frank Stella’s minimalist, abstract paintings inspire the title of this series, but in my work, I seek a sense of more playfulness.

My body of work intended to be playful and engaging. Through my exploration of materials, I hope to inspire questions that will drive viewers into their experimental artistic quests. Seeking to express whimsy, surprise and the opportunity for viewers to bring their own experience to my artwork, I hope my work piques their imagination and perhaps leads them to artmaking.

I maintain an on-going drawing practice using an artist notebook where I explore techniques and materials. These are pages where I experiment and accept the results. Sometimes, they are rehearsals for a project. I regularly contribute sketchbooks to the Brooklyn Art Library, which are on permanent display when they are not on a touring exhibition. Periodic Opus Art Supplies Drawing Challenges inspire many of these drawings. Selections of these drawing have been exhibited in a Small Press Event in the Winchester Gallery (Winchester, UK) curated by Dimitri Pieri and the Port Moody Centre for the arts (Port Moody, British Columbia). I am also the Vancouver Sketchbook Project Coordinator, a collaborative project between the University of British Columbia Community Field Experience Practicum and the Vancouver School Board that promotes daily drawing in elementary school classrooms.