"I am interested in making paintings that are essentially 'abstract', yet reference 'real' world imagery at the same time. I arrive at the imagery of my paintings through a balance of making deliberate shapes and spontaniously painting gestural marks in an expressive manner. This balance of distinctive approaches to making a painting is rooted in my passion for the process of painting itself, specifically a passion for making rich fields of color, a keeness for painting straight lines, and a strong desire to 'muck' things up by pulling paint across the surface with various painting knives and brushes. Although the process is similar in each painting, it is my intention to make each individual painting unique, as an entity with its own characteristics. As a result, some paintings seem figurative, some look like specific objects, some have a serious tone, while still others seem comical. At times seemingly random, the compositions in my paintings are well scrutinized over and often reference historical as well as contemporary art pieces that I may have a certain affinity for. As of late, that has meant incorporating an almost ever-present horizon line, which introduces the idea of a figure-ground relationship to the otherwise entirely abstract image. Ultimately, I'm looking for an image that is challenging not only for myself, but more importantly for the viewer."

Sall reception at the Roswell Museum and Art Center

EDUCATION
1999 B.F.A. Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO; Major: Painting/Printmaking 
1998 Yale Summer School of Music and Art, Norfolk, CT
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2003 THE RAIR PAINTINGS; Roswell Museum and Art Center, Roswell, NM
SOMETHING AMIDST NOTHING; Joseph Nease Gallery, Kansas City, MO
2000 MORE REAL THAN REAL; Joseph Nease Gallery, Kansas City, MO
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2003 IS / WAS; Joseph Nease Gallery, Kansas City, MO
2002 BEYOND BOUNDS 6: SHINE; Gallery of Art at Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS 
KANSAS CITY FLATFILES, H&R Block Artspace at the Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2001 CHARLOTTE STREET FUND EXHIBITION; H&R Block Artspace at the Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO;
SPACE ODDITY; Joseph Nease Gallery, Kansas City, MO
NEWALITY; Shaw Hofstraw & Associates, Kansas City, MO; 
A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME; Gallery of Art at Village Shalom, Overland Park, KS
KANSAS CITY FLATFILES; H&R Block Artspace at the Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
BEYOND BOUNDS 5: OFF THE RECORD!; Gallery of Art at Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS
1999 KARMA; Joseph Nease Gallery, Kansas City, MO
1998 NEW WORK; Yale Student Gallery, Norfolk, CT
1997 TRUTH AND SICKBED; 1331 Union Gallery, Kansas City, MO
AWARDS
2002 Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program, Roswell, NM
2001 Charlotte Street Fund Award, Kansas City, MO
1998 Ellen Battel Stoeckel Fellowship, Norfolk, CT
Wilbur Niewald Painting Scholarship, KCAI, Kansas City, MO
1997 Blanch & Cecil Carstenson Scholarship, KCAI, Kansas City, MO
1995 Vice President's Merit Award, KCAI, Kansas City, MO
Joyce Thomson Edlund Art Memorial Scholarship, Lead, SD

OTHER RECENT EXHIBITIONS

additional support provided by

"Momentropy"
 oil on canvas, 78"x120"
 2003

"Amalgamator"
 oil on canvas, 96"x78"
2003

"Western Southwestern", 
 oil on canvas
96"x120"
2002

 digital prints
10"x7.5"
2003

"Form(al)"

"Shake Shift"

"Mobius"

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