My paintings could be considered documentation of my life, using friends and acquaintances as subjects. In preparation for painting I take hundreds of photographs, either from costumed or candid performances. I focus on unique beauty and desire. One moment someone can look stunning, and vulnerable and awkward in the next. An expression can be loaded, seeming euphoric, complacent, orgasmic, hysterical, and agonized all at once. While viewers might not know the subject personally, they can relate, empathize, or fantasize with the presented human image. I am interested in the investigation of pairs within one painting, people I consider “sidekicks,” as well as singular gazes and the interaction between paintings. Blurring lines between past and present through allusions to fashion photography and album cover art remains a source of exploration, while the history of painting coincides with my focus on sensuality, sincerity vs. parody, formalism, and color.