In a day how many people do you see? A handful, maybe hundreds? With those small glances you see only a fragmented version of who people are in that moment. In the show EXTENSIONS I am looking at the way that people can change their demeanor, their attitude, their character that goes beyond one visual glance of how they present themselves. I asked various people to show two versions of who they are. In that duality the paintings still come together to represent one person. With each pair, the paintings are clearly different, but share the same color and shapes that feed into each work to connect them as one image; the same person.

The works included in the show are a way for us to rethink the way that we define people. The way that people show up represents one part of themselves, but when we get to know and understand others that is when you find multiple iterations of their personality that manifest in their appearance. Having that special access to parts of people that aren't always visible, in turn will change the way that you perceive them as well. 

Not only that, but diving into the idea that other people can be extensions of ourselves as well. Whether it be our child, a sibling, or a spouse, we can find reflections of ourselves in more ways than what is shown on the surface.

Over the years I have always focused on painting people in a way that allows their true selves to be seen. What I have come to notice is that personality comes through more when surrounded by those you feel comfortable with. This show is a continued focus on people, but with an emphasis on the relationships between two entities and how they influence one another. This focus on two has more to do with the idea of connection. I could go on with three, four, and even a hundred, but for me I believe a one to one connection is the strongest.

The idea of “two” is explored in several ways that go past just by having two figures together on a canvas. Within these works, I am looking at gestures between two people, the relationship of two people when divided, and even observing the interaction between the viewer and a singular figure. 

The people that surround us affect and determine who we will become. In order to grasp the full picture of a person, it is necessary to examine their attitudes when they are in communion with others they care about.

For my works included in the show, The Beautiful and the Damned, I have chosen to put a focus on all female figures. I believe that people can be criticized by their appearance, but in regard to women and girls it is more so. The figures presented show their true selves with their own definition of what beautiful means to them. Whether beauty comes through in the form of dressing up, being natural, or just relaxed, it is all acceptable regardless of how society damns them for it.