The Next Stop, Oil on Canvas, 54"x72", 2018
UPROOTED solo show at Beacon Gallery!!! Seagrass, green crabs, invaders, ecosystems and lots of paint. Please join us for a look at what happens when eelgrass habitats have unexpected guests that eat through everything. Learn how the green crabs themselves have been uprooted and what happens when this stranger arrives on our shores. This show combines video footage from seagrass field work, paintings inspired by this research and an intriguing discussion on seagrass habitats by local scientists. Super excited to have "Uprooted" co-curated by art critic Oliva Kiers and gallery director Christine O'Donnell! Opening Reception: Friday October 5th, 7-9 PM Beacon Gallery 524B Harrison Avenue Boston MA 02118 Seagrass Discussion with Coastal Ecologists: Saturday, October 13th, 12 PM BU's Dr. Alyssa Novak, MIT SeaGrant Dr. Julie Simpson, and Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Program's Coastal Coordinator Peter Phippen will shed light on current eelgrass research and green crabs in our coastal communities.
Held Together, Oil on Panel, 30"x30", 2018
Held Together, Stetson Gallery 28 Mugford Street, Marblehead, MA 01945 The solo exhibition will run from Sep. 9- Oct. 16, 2018 Opening Reception: Sunday, September 9, 12-2pm, 2018 Also Please join us on Sep. 9th, for "Held Together", my upcoming show featuring new seagrass inspired paintings along with an exciting talk with Dr. Julie Simpson. Dr. Simpson is a coastal aquatic ecologist with the MIT Sea Grant College Program in the Marine Advisory Services. “Held Together” is an underwater hub where many exchanges occur simultaneously. The organic shapes have edges that become distinct and then shift into the next shape, creating energetic movements. This experience is similar to what occurs underwater when I snorkel in eelgrass meadows, there is this wonderful swaying movement created by lots of micro movements. I try to visually capture this rich diversity of colors, shapes and movement in my paintings.
Fish Mountain Reflection, Oil on Canvas, 36”x18”, 2018
Turbidity, Oil on Panel, 30"x 30", 2018
Seagrass slows down wave action, caused by storms. It helps prevent shore erosion.
Inlet, Oil on Canvas, 18"x 24", 2018
Almost Night, Oil on Canvas, 36"x 36", 2018
unusual color variations occur at sunset, capturing imaginary surface flutters of seagrass.
Seagrass in The Rain, Oil on Panel, 16"x 20", 2016
Love to draw calligraphic lines outside of colors.
Ocean Light, Oil on Canvas, 18”x36”, 2018
Outer Edge, Oil on Pane,12”x 12
The Swim, Oil on Panel, 30”x 30”, 2018,
When Tides Flood In, Oil on Panel, 24"x 24", 2017
When Tides Flood In, Oil on Panel, 24"x 24", 2017 This painting is about the beautiful reliance seagrass has within natural rhythms of tides in bright glowing light. There is an immediacy of upcoming change, yet a comfort in the daily repetition of the rise and fall of water.
Turtle Island, Oil on Canvas, 30”x 30”, 2018
Tidal Pool, Oil on Pane,12”x 12”, 2018
When The Fog Rolls In, Oil on Canvas, 48"x 60", 2018
When the Fog Rolls In is a more poetic reflection of the colors in seagrass meadows when changes in weather occur. Tangible, intangible, fog brings to our attention to a wealth of sensations that we are not usually aware of. This experience of being engulfed by fog happened on one of my field trips with Alyssa Novak's seagrass conservation group in Wellfleet. One minute we were harvesting seagrass; the next minute the fog was so dense that you could barely see anything. It was amazing since all your senses come alive. Colors are brighter, textures more exaggerated, and the sound almost went up a notch. In this painting I try to capture this tension between dulling down and the unexpected magnification of beauty of the eelgrass meadow.
Flow, Oil on Canvas, 18”x36”, 2018
Buoyant, Oil on Canvas, 12”x 48”, 2018
Sometimes while you are snorkeling in seagrass meadows you find beautiful movement in plant life that floats by.
After the Green Crab Arrives, Oil on Canvas, 24"x 48", 2018
Love all the new treasures washed ashore on a beach walk. This painting references how the landscape underwater shifts and changes as the invasive green crab
Sediment, Oil on Panel,12”x 12”, 2018
Coastline, Oil on Canvas, 36"x48", 2018
I used hot pinks and unusual violet colors to describe the beautiful space between the oceans and the beach in “Coastline”. The Charcoal lines mimic organic matter that washes ashore. I used large brushstrokes in alternating patterns to suggest movement of land and water and constant flux of these exchanges.
Sunlit, Oil on Panel, 30"x 30", 2018
“Sunlit” references the underwater world on a bright sunny day with crisp blue gray reflected light encircling the eelgrass beds in water. I use pencil and charcoal marks to mimic patterns in the water. I used hot pinks and unusual violet colors to describe the beautiful space between the oceans and the beach in “Coastline”. The Charcoal lines mimic organic matter that washes ashore. I used large brushstrokes in alternating patterns to suggest movement of land and water and constant flux of these exchanges.
Manatee, Oil on Canvas, 24"x 48", 2018
Please Join us at Monmouth Museum for "Does It Match the Couch- A Juried Exploration of Color". Manatee has been juried in to this exhibition which will run from June 1- Sep. 2, 2018. Monmouth Museum 765 Newman Springs Road Lincroft, NJ 07738 Opening Reception: Friday, June 1, 2018 from 6 – 8pm http://monmouthmuseum.org Manatees are beautiful creatures that live in seagrass meadows and feed off of this amazing ocean plant. We are loosing over 20 football fields of seagrass habitats globally everyday due to pollution. My volunteer work with local marine ecologists in the field help inform my abstract paintings. Manatees are one of the many amazing sea creatures that live in and feed off of seagrass ecosystems.
Floating Rock Crab, Oil on Canvas, 55"x 25", 2018
Abstract volumes drift across the top of Floating Rock Crab. Another type of movement is happening on the bottom half of the canvas. Sediment and shuffling of stuff—we are not sure exactly what it is, only that there is a different kind of movement. More packed and dense. In this painting I contrast two types of movements. One is the top water column movement with the leftover floating shells of Rock Crabs. The other movement is that of the hungry Green Crab in the bottom of the canvas: rummaging. This painting is a reflection of the destructive nature of Green Crabs. Native crabs such as Rock Crabs, mollusks and eelgrass beds are being lost at alarming rates. One Green Crab can consume 40 half-inch clams a day, as well as other crabs its own size.
Moving Land, Oil on Canvas, 12”x48”, 2018
This painting references the ever changing topography of sediment underwater.
Bubblegum Somersault, Oil on Canvas, 36"x 36", 2016
Inspired by seagrass habitats, Bubblegum Somersault references the playful nature of seahorses that live in seagrass beds. Sometimes seen as books or musical keys on a piano this piece invites the viewer to make their own interpretation.
Planting Seagrass, Oil on Panel,12”x 12”, 2018
Seagrass, Oil on Panel, 12"x12", 2018
In Sand, Oil on Panel,12”x 12”, 2018,
Current, Oil on Panel, 30”x 20”, 2018
Great patterns appear and disappear at low tide. This abstract painting show some of the overlapping patterns.
Synergy, Oil on Canvas, 30"x 30", 2018 SOLD
Synergy references Bucky Fullers ideas on interconnectedness of elements. How by looking at one part of something like a toe, you would not necessarily imagine the whole person. This idea resonated with me in thinking about the larger context of what seagrass represents; life force for many species.
In Mist, Oil on Canvas, 24"x 48", 2018
The Green Crabs arrived on the East Coast along with Europeans in the late 1800. They came in ballisters of ships, and have expanded exponentially in the last century. So much so that they are one of the leading invasive and destructive species on our coast. On my trips out with eelgrass conservation groups we collect bags and bags of green crabs. One female has more than 160 K off springs with no natural predators. This painting depicts the idea of of what happens after.
Oysters, Mixed Media on Paper, 33"x24", 2017
Oysters help clear out algae from polluted waters thus helping clean the waters for seagrass.
Beach Walk II, Oil on Pane,12”x 12”, 2018
Into The Night, Mixed Media on Paper, 33"x 25.5, 2017
Nocturnal ostracod species that conduct nightly bioluminescent courtship displays over seagrass bed and reef habitats.
Green Crab Cove, Oil on Canvas, 24"x48", 2018
Green Crab Cove, in contrast, is a calm abstract landscape with shimmering light. If the painting is viewed from afar the whole cove becomes a Green Crab basking in the sun. This play on being both object and land happened while I was thinking about how and why the green crab has been here for over 100 years and still is called a migrant crab. At what point do we say “they belong”…or not? The periwinkle is also a migrant mollusk on our shores that came during the 1800s, but it is not seen as an invasive species. Periwinkles were uprooted and assimilated.
Blue Carbon installed in South End, Boston, MA 2018
Blue Carbon, Oil on Panel, 24"x 48", 2017 SOLD
Blue C refers to how seagrass habitats store carbon in their sediments. Salt marshes, mangroves and seagrasses collect globally significant quantities of carbon. Blue Carbon, is this storage function that buffers climate change and ocean acidification. My paintings are about the sensations of life within seagrass beds; the color, the energy, and interconnectedness of species. Seagrass is a flowering plant that lives in the shallow waters of our oceans and needs light to survive. It is home to thousands of sea animals including the dugong, manatee, green sea turtle and many more. Seagrass helps with shore erosion (slows down wave action) and hold down CO2s in it’s sediment and root system
Digging, Oil on Canvas, 24"x 48", 2018
Digging depicts the Green Crab’s process of burrowing through the sediment in seagrass beds. Everything becomes disheveled by the Green Crab’s natural curiosity and resilience—not just to survive, but thrive. They dig away in the sand, uproot the seagrasses, eat through all the scallops and leave empty shells behind. The painting depicts the frantic energy of the “raving mad crab” (Latin definition of Canisus Maneas). I use broken shapes, fragmented lines, and overlapped objects where there is no focal area. This overall patterning creates unrest. The colors are uplifting shades of jewel tones of the somewhat amazing seagrass habitat that is being destroyed.
Dancing in the Moonlight. Mixed Media on Paper, 25.5" x 33.5", 2017
“At the end of the day people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou
Glisten, Oil on Panel, 24" x 36", 2017
Just like in our gardens on ground, the seagrass gardens underwater start sprouting new leaves in Spring.
Ocean Life, Oil on Canvas, 60"x 48"
Currents move between amazing living species in our oceans. Kelp, different types of coral, seagrass, mollusks, fish, thousands of different sea life.
Intertwined II, Commission, Oil on Panel, 30"x 30", 2018
KJ Commissioned Painting, Oil on Canvas, 25"x 55", 2017
KJ Commissioned Painting installed in client's Andover home
Low Tide, Oil on Canvas, 12"x 48", 2018 SOLD
Gestural marks mimicking patterns made by the waves. Abstract movements of water at low tide.
Macro Algae, Oil on Canvas, 36"x 60", 2017 SOLD
Reflection, Oil on Panel, 20"x 30", 2017 SOLD
Ocean Reflecting Sky, solo show at Stetson Gallery September 7 – October 11th, 2017 “Reflection” is an abstraction of an algae bloom, nitrates have seeped into the water and started merging into seagrass’ space. There is still enough light for photosynthesis but the clarity of water is shifting. Nature has an amazing way of dealing with pollution we dump into it, to an extent. Clean water is important not only for seagrass ecosystems that need light to survive but also us. When we pollute our rivers, estuaries and oceans we get algae blooms that block light. This results in loss of costal environments that feed and sustain many species of life, including us.
Carbon Capture, Oil on Canvas, 60”x 48”, 2017 SOLD
Wispy charcoal lines mixed with golden oil paint suggest CO2 in the air. My abstracted seagrass meadow in the foreground is painted with broad strokes, graffiti like marks and drips of paint. Small amounts of pink reflections poke through the plant like matter. I like to create part ambiguous space, I am interested in the viewer bringing their own interpretation and try to encourage more questions. For example why are 20 football fields of seagrass lost everyday? How is Carbon stored in the sediment? What happens to this natural storage bank when seagrass beds are destroyed? I try to portray the quiet beauty and crucial role seagrass plays keeping our air and waters clean.
Carbon Capture installed Manhattan home
Oil on Canvas, 60”x 48”, 2017
Scallops and Mussels, Oil on Canvas, 36" x 60", 2017
This abstraction was inspired by seagrass beds at Hadley Point in Acadia National Park. I had trouble finding the seagrass since I wasn't paying attention to the tides. Finally, thanks to eelgrass expert Jane Disney from MDBL who told me to look for the seagrass beds at low tide, everything made sense. I found the seagrass early one morning. A yellow warm haze surrounded all the shelled animals, the air was crisp and the seagrass had just spread it's blades in all directions. In this painting I tried to capture the warm atmosphere of scallops, seagrass and muscles I had found on that amazing summer's day.
Seagrass Habitat, Oil on Panel, 24"x 24", 2017 SOLD
This is an abstraction of the beautiful life that is encircled by seagrass. The muscles, the crabs, the kelp, the rocks and water.
Strange Encounters, Oil on Canvas, 18"x 48", 2016 SOLD
Sometimes my paintings are about the way light hits the surface of the water and reflects different hues. Here in Strange Encounters, the squiggly lines represents organic matter in and around floating seagrass.
Sediment, Oil on Panel, 6"x 24", 2017 SOLD
Sediment is the word scientist use to describe the earth under seagrass beds.
In Pink Light
In Pink Light, Oil on Panel, 12"x 12", 2018
Green Crab, Oil on Canvas, 48"x 60", 2017 SOLD
Most of the time, I love all sea creatures including crabs. This Green Crab, however is a bit of a puzzle. It's an invasive species brought to the Northeast by Europeans in the 1800 and eats everything and chops away at the roots of seagrass beds. On my trip out to Comono Point with Alyssa Novak's Seagrass conservation group from BU, we planted seagrass and we collected cases of green crabs. They were destroying the newly planted seagrass. This painting shows the tension for survival that exists in our oceans.
Green Crab installed in Boston Corporation, 2017
Oil on Canvas, 48"x 60", 2017
Ocean Above, Oil on Canvas, 36"x 48". 2017
Seagrass is a wonderful plant that both captures CO2s from the atmosphere and stores it beneath it's root system. When we loose 20 football fields of seagrass a day, we are loosing both services for CO2. Thousands of years of carbon stored underneath seagrass beds become charged with microbial activity resulting in more CO2s being released into the atmosphere. Ocean Above is a contemplation of the invisible properties seagrass holds.
Sunset Miami, Oil on Panel, 6"x 24", 2017 SOLD
This painting depicts the soft sand contrasted with course textures that you may find in the ocean. Ocean life.
Intertidal, Oil on Canvas, 50"x 68", 2016 SOLD
My paintings are about color and the sensations of light that is essential for seagrass survival. The interconnectedness of a vast number of species sheltered, fed and protected by seagrass habitats is an inspiration for my paintings. Intertidal is about the movement of sea life underwater. As the tides move back and forth, diffused light changes into sharper more pronounced colors. Prior to working in the field with the Novak Lab, seagrass conservation group, I imagined seagrasses lived in beautiful serene environments. After being in the water with pinching crabs, urchins, and other creatures beneath my feet , I got to experience the beauty and the tension of survival in these environments. In intertidal, I try to capture both the beauty and tension between different elements making the community.
Intertidal in Client's Home, Boston, 2017
Seagrass Architecture, Mixed Meida on Paper, 25"x 33", 2017 SOLD
Inspired by richly dense vegetation around actual eelgrass (seagrass) beds. Watching many living creatures interacting simultaneously is amazing! Better than looking a network or a city with many connections.
Sea Hare, Mixed Media on Paper, 33"x24", 2017
Sea Hare is an imaginary creature with pink and purple stripes which floats across a celestial dark space. This painting is inspired by a fascinating slug called a sea hare that actually eats algae from seagrass blades cleaning off some of the gunk we put in to our oceans. 20 football fields of seagrass beds are dying globally everyday due to nutrient overload (too much nitrates from fertilizers) & pollution.
Hydrochloric Acid, Mixed Media on Paper, 20"x 30", 2017 SOLD
Hydrochloric Acid is a part of my "Something's in the Water" series. I wanted to create tension between knowing and not knowing; this landscape looks safe but we are not sure. Jarring charcoal lines sweep across the surface disrupting the serenity. This painting references the current oil & gas fracking and how we don't really know what affects the hydrochloric acid has on our oceans, seagrass, and our drinking water in Oklahoma.
Biomes, Mixed Media on Paper, 25.5"x 33", 2017 SOLD
Biomas is the rich densely populated organic matter near seagrass roots.
Floating Seagrass, Mixed Media on Paper, 32.5"x 24.5", 2017
Love the movement of eelgrass on the surface of the water. Looking through there are multiple layers that are visible simultaneously.
Cascade, Mixed Media on Paper, 33"x 25", 2017
Dizzying to think about shoreline erosion, forced migration, and consequences of sea levels rising.
Spill,Mixed Media on Paper, 33"x 24", 2017 SOLD
Spill is about how we are polluting our waters with both fracking for oil and also the oil spills that occur during the process. It takes 100 years for eelgrass beds to establish themselves.
Summer Breeze, Oil on Panel, 24"x 48", 2016
And So it Goes On, Mixed Media on Paper, 21"x 29", 2017
Thinking about seagrass architecture in the spring.
Interior, Mixed Media on Paper, 33"x24", 2017
High rises, overdevelopment, seagrass architecture.
Estuary, Oil on Canvas, 30"x 40", 2018
Rooftop Garden, Mixed Media on Paper, 30"x, 22", 2017
Imaging when sea levels rise how will be resilient enough to grow gardens in our rooftops, while surrounded by water.
Bay, Oil on Pane,12”x 12”, 2018
Underwater, Mixed Media on Paper, 20"x 16. 2017 SOLD
Movement, light, blades of grass.
Shoreline, Mixed Media on Paper, 25.5" x33", 2017 SOLD
Sometimes seagrass gets washed on to the shores making these amazing zigzagging patterns. Along with them they carry traces of life that surrounds them. Living creatures like slugs, crabs, or muscles hang on to the eelgrass.
Moonlit, Mixed Media on Paper, 22.5"x 29.5", 2017 SOLD
Seagrass fluttering on the surface of the water in moonlight.
Night Crawl, Mixed Media on Paper, 20"x 15.5", 2017
A part of the "Something's in the Water" series, Night Crawl depicts shorelines sifting with rising water levels.
Reaching, Oil on Canvas, 64"x 54", 2016
My paintings are about color and the sensations of light that is essential for seagrass survival. The interconnectedness of a vast number of species sheltered, fed and protected by seagrass habitats is an inspiration for my paintings. Reaching is inspired by the amazing phenomenon of aerenchyma, the spongy tissue that forms spaces or air channels in the leaves of seagrass. These air channels keep the seagrass leaves reaching up towards the light and allow for photosynthesis.
Immersed, Oil on Canvas, 48"x 60", 2016 SOLD
Immersed depicts an ambiguous boundary between reflection and the invented reality of where seagrass live in this painting. It's a watery abstraction that encircles from one shore to another.
Immersed in Client's Home, 2017 Oil on Canvas, 48"x60", 2016
Bridge to Babel, Oil on Canvas, 70.5"x 84", 2016
"Bridge to Babel" started with color, line and mark making. As the painting evolved form light washes of diluted oil paint, images landscapes started to appear. Each time I would come into the studio a new shape started to emerge. I worked on this painting in the round, constantly rotating it. The charcoal line appears and disappears at different points creating implied connections from one shore to the next. The title and final charcoal of the unbuilt tower of babel appeared after the elections. My need to reference the importance biodiversity and cultural diversity coalesced in this painting.
Midori, Oil on Canvas, 36"x 36", 2016
Japanese for the word green.
In Water, Oil on Panel, 20"x 16", 2016 SOLD
In water is about seagrass biomass that grow at the bottom of the shoots. This biomass gets larger fuller and increases in size in healthy seagrass beds and helps with holding down carbon dioxide. It is found that seagrass beds can hold up to 50% of the ocean carbon dioxide in its rhizomatic roots. How cool!
Ever Shifting, Oil on Panel, 30"x 30", 2016 SOLD
"Ever Shifting" is about my experience of being in the field with marine ecologists Alyssa Novak from BU. I was fortunate to go on several field trips and learn how this conservation group harvests and plant seagrass to help with erosion. "Ever Shifting" is my interpretation of seeing both sky, water, and the beautiful diversity simultaneously. The rhythm and movement of many creatures all at their own pace - exhilarating!
Maybe Green, Oil on Panel, 12"x 12", 2016 SOLD
Working with Novak Lab in Wellfleet when the mist rolled in.
Bloom, Oil on Panel, 36" x 24", 2016 SOLD
Seagrass is a flowering plant.
Turquoise Travels, Oil on Panel, 12" x 12", 2016 SOLD
Green Sea Turtles hanging out in seagrass beds.
Blue Passage in New Home!
Blue Passage in New Home! Oil on Canvas, 26"x57.5", 20016
Blue Passage, Oil on Canvas, 26"x57.5", 20016 SOLD
Chasing Green, Oil on Canvas, 36"x 36", 2016
This abstraction came about by out in the water and harvesting seagrass for eelgrass conservation.
Zostera Marina SOLD
Patterns in nature reflecting light.
Beach, Oil on Canvas, 47" x 47", 2016 SOLD
Sensation of light and water.
Elliot’s Shoreline, Commissioned Painting
Oil on Canvas, 46" x60", 2016
Frank’s Jamaica, Oil on Canvas, 36″ x 76″, 2016
Commissioned Painting 2016
Manatee Swing, Oil on Canvas, 48” x 60”, 2015 Out on loan ABA
Imagining how manatees sea their homes in seagrass beds.
Becoming Ocean, Oil on Canvas, 28" x 78", 2014 SOLD
Macro and micro views of seagrass habitats.
Seahorse Songs, Acrylic on Panel, 12"x 12", 2015 SOLD
Seahorses playing among eelgrass.
Commission, Louise's Shore Oil on Canvas, 36"x 60", 2015 SOLD
"The painting looks great in our home, we are so happy" Louise Cadavid
Migration Route, Acrylic on Panel, 12"x 12", 2015 SOLD
Turtles journey across oceans.
Wate, Acrylic on Panel, 12"x 12", 2015 SOLD
Light and the importance of clear water.
Snorkeling, Acrylic on Panel, 12"x 12", 2015 SOLD
Snorkeling and sensations of light and energy.
Underwater, Acrylic on Panel, 12"x 12", 2015 SOLD
Seagrass though goggles.
Underwater Communities, Acrylic on Panel, 12"x 12", 2015 SOLD
Plankton in yellow light.
Underwater II, Acrylic on Panel, 12"x 12", 2015 SOLD
Seagrass in goggles.
Flowering Plant II, Acrylic on Pane, 12" 12", 2015 SOLD
Dense vegetation in seagrass beds.
House, Acyrlic on Panel, 12"x 12", 2015 SOLD
Embankments, mangroves, and interconnected habitats.
Linked, Oil on Canvas, 12" x 60", 2012 SOLD
Islands, seagrass and life.
Water's Edge, Oil on Panel, 12"x 12" Donated to W20 Fundraiser(NEAquarium)
Land meets water.
Intertwined, Oil on Panel, 30"x 30", 2016 SOLD
Oil on Panel, 30"x 30", 2016
Between Blue, Oil on Panel, 30"x 30", 2016 SOLD
Between Blue is painted on wooden panel to emphasize the textural surface. I started this painting with a pallet knife and modeling paste. I built up a thick layer and started drawing into the modeling paste. The waves lines represent seagrass movement. Other areas have organic shapes drawing into it with a sharp nail. Once this dried, I gessoed the whole surface and started glazing different colors with medium. This was followed by more impasto paint and charcoal line work. This layered process, for me mimics movements of tides. How the tide washes away and reintroduces new configurations. For me this mysterious experience of constant flux and discovery is inspiring.
Mollusks at Low Tide, Oil on Canvas, 36"x 60", 2017 SOLD
Low tide exposes a new configuration of multitudes. The rich density of life is revealed.
Mollusks at Low Tide, 36"x 60", installed in Ball Ground, GA
The Next Stop, Oil on Canvas, 54"x72", 2018
UPROOTED solo show at Beacon Gallery!!! Seagrass, green crabs, invaders, ecosystems and lots of paint. Please join us for a look at what happens when eelgrass habitats have unexpected guests that eat through everything. Learn how the green crabs themselves have been uprooted and what happens when this stranger arrives on our shores. This show combines video footage from seagrass field work, paintings inspired by this research and an intriguing discussion on seagrass habitats by local scientists. Super excited to have "Uprooted" co-curated by art critic Oliva Kiers and gallery director Christine O'Donnell! Opening Reception: Friday October 5th, 7-9 PM Beacon Gallery 524B Harrison Avenue Boston MA 02118 Seagrass Discussion with Coastal Ecologists: Saturday, October 13th, 12 PM BU's Dr. Alyssa Novak, MIT SeaGrant Dr. Julie Simpson, and Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Program's Coastal Coordinator Peter Phippen will shed light on current eelgrass research and green crabs in our coastal communities.
Held Together, Oil on Panel, 30"x30", 2018
Held Together, Stetson Gallery 28 Mugford Street, Marblehead, MA 01945 The solo exhibition will run from Sep. 9- Oct. 16, 2018 Opening Reception: Sunday, September 9, 12-2pm, 2018 Also Please join us on Sep. 9th, for "Held Together", my upcoming show featuring new seagrass inspired paintings along with an exciting talk with Dr. Julie Simpson. Dr. Simpson is a coastal aquatic ecologist with the MIT Sea Grant College Program in the Marine Advisory Services. “Held Together” is an underwater hub where many exchanges occur simultaneously. The organic shapes have edges that become distinct and then shift into the next shape, creating energetic movements. This experience is similar to what occurs underwater when I snorkel in eelgrass meadows, there is this wonderful swaying movement created by lots of micro movements. I try to visually capture this rich diversity of colors, shapes and movement in my paintings.
Fish Mountain Reflection, Oil on Canvas, 36”x18”, 2018
Turbidity, Oil on Panel, 30"x 30", 2018
Seagrass slows down wave action, caused by storms. It helps prevent shore erosion.
Inlet, Oil on Canvas, 18"x 24", 2018
Almost Night, Oil on Canvas, 36"x 36", 2018
unusual color variations occur at sunset, capturing imaginary surface flutters of seagrass.
Seagrass in The Rain, Oil on Panel, 16"x 20", 2016
Love to draw calligraphic lines outside of colors.
Ocean Light, Oil on Canvas, 18”x36”, 2018
Outer Edge, Oil on Pane,12”x 12
The Swim, Oil on Panel, 30”x 30”, 2018,
When Tides Flood In, Oil on Panel, 24"x 24", 2017
When Tides Flood In, Oil on Panel, 24"x 24", 2017 This painting is about the beautiful reliance seagrass has within natural rhythms of tides in bright glowing light. There is an immediacy of upcoming change, yet a comfort in the daily repetition of the rise and fall of water.
Turtle Island, Oil on Canvas, 30”x 30”, 2018
Tidal Pool, Oil on Pane,12”x 12”, 2018
When The Fog Rolls In, Oil on Canvas, 48"x 60", 2018
When the Fog Rolls In is a more poetic reflection of the colors in seagrass meadows when changes in weather occur. Tangible, intangible, fog brings to our attention to a wealth of sensations that we are not usually aware of. This experience of being engulfed by fog happened on one of my field trips with Alyssa Novak's seagrass conservation group in Wellfleet. One minute we were harvesting seagrass; the next minute the fog was so dense that you could barely see anything. It was amazing since all your senses come alive. Colors are brighter, textures more exaggerated, and the sound almost went up a notch. In this painting I try to capture this tension between dulling down and the unexpected magnification of beauty of the eelgrass meadow.
Flow, Oil on Canvas, 18”x36”, 2018
Buoyant, Oil on Canvas, 12”x 48”, 2018
Sometimes while you are snorkeling in seagrass meadows you find beautiful movement in plant life that floats by.
After the Green Crab Arrives, Oil on Canvas, 24"x 48", 2018
Love all the new treasures washed ashore on a beach walk. This painting references how the landscape underwater shifts and changes as the invasive green crab
Sediment, Oil on Panel,12”x 12”, 2018
Coastline, Oil on Canvas, 36"x48", 2018
I used hot pinks and unusual violet colors to describe the beautiful space between the oceans and the beach in “Coastline”. The Charcoal lines mimic organic matter that washes ashore. I used large brushstrokes in alternating patterns to suggest movement of land and water and constant flux of these exchanges.
Sunlit, Oil on Panel, 30"x 30", 2018
“Sunlit” references the underwater world on a bright sunny day with crisp blue gray reflected light encircling the eelgrass beds in water. I use pencil and charcoal marks to mimic patterns in the water. I used hot pinks and unusual violet colors to describe the beautiful space between the oceans and the beach in “Coastline”. The Charcoal lines mimic organic matter that washes ashore. I used large brushstrokes in alternating patterns to suggest movement of land and water and constant flux of these exchanges.
Manatee, Oil on Canvas, 24"x 48", 2018
Please Join us at Monmouth Museum for "Does It Match the Couch- A Juried Exploration of Color". Manatee has been juried in to this exhibition which will run from June 1- Sep. 2, 2018. Monmouth Museum 765 Newman Springs Road Lincroft, NJ 07738 Opening Reception: Friday, June 1, 2018 from 6 – 8pm http://monmouthmuseum.org Manatees are beautiful creatures that live in seagrass meadows and feed off of this amazing ocean plant. We are loosing over 20 football fields of seagrass habitats globally everyday due to pollution. My volunteer work with local marine ecologists in the field help inform my abstract paintings. Manatees are one of the many amazing sea creatures that live in and feed off of seagrass ecosystems.
Floating Rock Crab, Oil on Canvas, 55"x 25", 2018
Abstract volumes drift across the top of Floating Rock Crab. Another type of movement is happening on the bottom half of the canvas. Sediment and shuffling of stuff—we are not sure exactly what it is, only that there is a different kind of movement. More packed and dense. In this painting I contrast two types of movements. One is the top water column movement with the leftover floating shells of Rock Crabs. The other movement is that of the hungry Green Crab in the bottom of the canvas: rummaging. This painting is a reflection of the destructive nature of Green Crabs. Native crabs such as Rock Crabs, mollusks and eelgrass beds are being lost at alarming rates. One Green Crab can consume 40 half-inch clams a day, as well as other crabs its own size.
Moving Land, Oil on Canvas, 12”x48”, 2018
This painting references the ever changing topography of sediment underwater.
Bubblegum Somersault, Oil on Canvas, 36"x 36", 2016
Inspired by seagrass habitats, Bubblegum Somersault references the playful nature of seahorses that live in seagrass beds. Sometimes seen as books or musical keys on a piano this piece invites the viewer to make their own interpretation.
Planting Seagrass, Oil on Panel,12”x 12”, 2018
Seagrass, Oil on Panel, 12"x12", 2018
In Sand, Oil on Panel,12”x 12”, 2018,
Current, Oil on Panel, 30”x 20”, 2018
Great patterns appear and disappear at low tide. This abstract painting show some of the overlapping patterns.
Synergy, Oil on Canvas, 30"x 30", 2018 SOLD
Synergy references Bucky Fullers ideas on interconnectedness of elements. How by looking at one part of something like a toe, you would not necessarily imagine the whole person. This idea resonated with me in thinking about the larger context of what seagrass represents; life force for many species.
In Mist, Oil on Canvas, 24"x 48", 2018
The Green Crabs arrived on the East Coast along with Europeans in the late 1800. They came in ballisters of ships, and have expanded exponentially in the last century. So much so that they are one of the leading invasive and destructive species on our coast. On my trips out with eelgrass conservation groups we collect bags and bags of green crabs. One female has more than 160 K off springs with no natural predators. This painting depicts the idea of of what happens after.
Oysters, Mixed Media on Paper, 33"x24", 2017
Oysters help clear out algae from polluted waters thus helping clean the waters for seagrass.
Beach Walk II, Oil on Pane,12”x 12”, 2018
Into The Night, Mixed Media on Paper, 33"x 25.5, 2017
Nocturnal ostracod species that conduct nightly bioluminescent courtship displays over seagrass bed and reef habitats.
Green Crab Cove, Oil on Canvas, 24"x48", 2018
Green Crab Cove, in contrast, is a calm abstract landscape with shimmering light. If the painting is viewed from afar the whole cove becomes a Green Crab basking in the sun. This play on being both object and land happened while I was thinking about how and why the green crab has been here for over 100 years and still is called a migrant crab. At what point do we say “they belong”…or not? The periwinkle is also a migrant mollusk on our shores that came during the 1800s, but it is not seen as an invasive species. Periwinkles were uprooted and assimilated.
Blue Carbon installed in South End, Boston, MA 2018
Blue Carbon, Oil on Panel, 24"x 48", 2017 SOLD
Blue C refers to how seagrass habitats store carbon in their sediments. Salt marshes, mangroves and seagrasses collect globally significant quantities of carbon. Blue Carbon, is this storage function that buffers climate change and ocean acidification. My paintings are about the sensations of life within seagrass beds; the color, the energy, and interconnectedness of species. Seagrass is a flowering plant that lives in the shallow waters of our oceans and needs light to survive. It is home to thousands of sea animals including the dugong, manatee, green sea turtle and many more. Seagrass helps with shore erosion (slows down wave action) and hold down CO2s in it’s sediment and root system
Digging, Oil on Canvas, 24"x 48", 2018
Digging depicts the Green Crab’s process of burrowing through the sediment in seagrass beds. Everything becomes disheveled by the Green Crab’s natural curiosity and resilience—not just to survive, but thrive. They dig away in the sand, uproot the seagrasses, eat through all the scallops and leave empty shells behind. The painting depicts the frantic energy of the “raving mad crab” (Latin definition of Canisus Maneas). I use broken shapes, fragmented lines, and overlapped objects where there is no focal area. This overall patterning creates unrest. The colors are uplifting shades of jewel tones of the somewhat amazing seagrass habitat that is being destroyed.
Dancing in the Moonlight. Mixed Media on Paper, 25.5" x 33.5", 2017
“At the end of the day people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou
Glisten, Oil on Panel, 24" x 36", 2017
Just like in our gardens on ground, the seagrass gardens underwater start sprouting new leaves in Spring.
Ocean Life, Oil on Canvas, 60"x 48"
Currents move between amazing living species in our oceans. Kelp, different types of coral, seagrass, mollusks, fish, thousands of different sea life.
Intertwined II, Commission, Oil on Panel, 30"x 30", 2018
KJ Commissioned Painting, Oil on Canvas, 25"x 55", 2017
KJ Commissioned Painting installed in client's Andover home
Low Tide, Oil on Canvas, 12"x 48", 2018 SOLD
Gestural marks mimicking patterns made by the waves. Abstract movements of water at low tide.
Macro Algae, Oil on Canvas, 36"x 60", 2017 SOLD
Reflection, Oil on Panel, 20"x 30", 2017 SOLD
Ocean Reflecting Sky, solo show at Stetson Gallery September 7 – October 11th, 2017 “Reflection” is an abstraction of an algae bloom, nitrates have seeped into the water and started merging into seagrass’ space. There is still enough light for photosynthesis but the clarity of water is shifting. Nature has an amazing way of dealing with pollution we dump into it, to an extent. Clean water is important not only for seagrass ecosystems that need light to survive but also us. When we pollute our rivers, estuaries and oceans we get algae blooms that block light. This results in loss of costal environments that feed and sustain many species of life, including us.
Carbon Capture, Oil on Canvas, 60”x 48”, 2017 SOLD
Wispy charcoal lines mixed with golden oil paint suggest CO2 in the air. My abstracted seagrass meadow in the foreground is painted with broad strokes, graffiti like marks and drips of paint. Small amounts of pink reflections poke through the plant like matter. I like to create part ambiguous space, I am interested in the viewer bringing their own interpretation and try to encourage more questions. For example why are 20 football fields of seagrass lost everyday? How is Carbon stored in the sediment? What happens to this natural storage bank when seagrass beds are destroyed? I try to portray the quiet beauty and crucial role seagrass plays keeping our air and waters clean.
Carbon Capture installed Manhattan home
Oil on Canvas, 60”x 48”, 2017
Scallops and Mussels, Oil on Canvas, 36" x 60", 2017
This abstraction was inspired by seagrass beds at Hadley Point in Acadia National Park. I had trouble finding the seagrass since I wasn't paying attention to the tides. Finally, thanks to eelgrass expert Jane Disney from MDBL who told me to look for the seagrass beds at low tide, everything made sense. I found the seagrass early one morning. A yellow warm haze surrounded all the shelled animals, the air was crisp and the seagrass had just spread it's blades in all directions. In this painting I tried to capture the warm atmosphere of scallops, seagrass and muscles I had found on that amazing summer's day.
Seagrass Habitat, Oil on Panel, 24"x 24", 2017 SOLD
This is an abstraction of the beautiful life that is encircled by seagrass. The muscles, the crabs, the kelp, the rocks and water.
Strange Encounters, Oil on Canvas, 18"x 48", 2016 SOLD
Sometimes my paintings are about the way light hits the surface of the water and reflects different hues. Here in Strange Encounters, the squiggly lines represents organic matter in and around floating seagrass.
Sediment, Oil on Panel, 6"x 24", 2017 SOLD
Sediment is the word scientist use to describe the earth under seagrass beds.
In Pink Light
In Pink Light, Oil on Panel, 12"x 12", 2018
Green Crab, Oil on Canvas, 48"x 60", 2017 SOLD
Most of the time, I love all sea creatures including crabs. This Green Crab, however is a bit of a puzzle. It's an invasive species brought to the Northeast by Europeans in the 1800 and eats everything and chops away at the roots of seagrass beds. On my trip out to Comono Point with Alyssa Novak's Seagrass conservation group from BU, we planted seagrass and we collected cases of green crabs. They were destroying the newly planted seagrass. This painting shows the tension for survival that exists in our oceans.
Green Crab installed in Boston Corporation, 2017
Oil on Canvas, 48"x 60", 2017
Ocean Above, Oil on Canvas, 36"x 48". 2017
Seagrass is a wonderful plant that both captures CO2s from the atmosphere and stores it beneath it's root system. When we loose 20 football fields of seagrass a day, we are loosing both services for CO2. Thousands of years of carbon stored underneath seagrass beds become charged with microbial activity resulting in more CO2s being released into the atmosphere. Ocean Above is a contemplation of the invisible properties seagrass holds.
Sunset Miami, Oil on Panel, 6"x 24", 2017 SOLD
This painting depicts the soft sand contrasted with course textures that you may find in the ocean. Ocean life.
Intertidal, Oil on Canvas, 50"x 68", 2016 SOLD
My paintings are about color and the sensations of light that is essential for seagrass survival. The interconnectedness of a vast number of species sheltered, fed and protected by seagrass habitats is an inspiration for my paintings. Intertidal is about the movement of sea life underwater. As the tides move back and forth, diffused light changes into sharper more pronounced colors. Prior to working in the field with the Novak Lab, seagrass conservation group, I imagined seagrasses lived in beautiful serene environments. After being in the water with pinching crabs, urchins, and other creatures beneath my feet , I got to experience the beauty and the tension of survival in these environments. In intertidal, I try to capture both the beauty and tension between different elements making the community.
Intertidal in Client's Home, Boston, 2017
Seagrass Architecture, Mixed Meida on Paper, 25"x 33", 2017 SOLD
Inspired by richly dense vegetation around actual eelgrass (seagrass) beds. Watching many living creatures interacting simultaneously is amazing! Better than looking a network or a city with many connections.
Sea Hare, Mixed Media on Paper, 33"x24", 2017
Sea Hare is an imaginary creature with pink and purple stripes which floats across a celestial dark space. This painting is inspired by a fascinating slug called a sea hare that actually eats algae from seagrass blades cleaning off some of the gunk we put in to our oceans. 20 football fields of seagrass beds are dying globally everyday due to nutrient overload (too much nitrates from fertilizers) & pollution.
Hydrochloric Acid, Mixed Media on Paper, 20"x 30", 2017 SOLD
Hydrochloric Acid is a part of my "Something's in the Water" series. I wanted to create tension between knowing and not knowing; this landscape looks safe but we are not sure. Jarring charcoal lines sweep across the surface disrupting the serenity. This painting references the current oil & gas fracking and how we don't really know what affects the hydrochloric acid has on our oceans, seagrass, and our drinking water in Oklahoma.
Biomes, Mixed Media on Paper, 25.5"x 33", 2017 SOLD
Biomas is the rich densely populated organic matter near seagrass roots.
Floating Seagrass, Mixed Media on Paper, 32.5"x 24.5", 2017
Love the movement of eelgrass on the surface of the water. Looking through there are multiple layers that are visible simultaneously.
Cascade, Mixed Media on Paper, 33"x 25", 2017
Dizzying to think about shoreline erosion, forced migration, and consequences of sea levels rising.
Spill,Mixed Media on Paper, 33"x 24", 2017 SOLD
Spill is about how we are polluting our waters with both fracking for oil and also the oil spills that occur during the process. It takes 100 years for eelgrass beds to establish themselves.
Summer Breeze, Oil on Panel, 24"x 48", 2016
And So it Goes On, Mixed Media on Paper, 21"x 29", 2017
Thinking about seagrass architecture in the spring.
Interior, Mixed Media on Paper, 33"x24", 2017
High rises, overdevelopment, seagrass architecture.
Estuary, Oil on Canvas, 30"x 40", 2018
Rooftop Garden, Mixed Media on Paper, 30"x, 22", 2017
Imaging when sea levels rise how will be resilient enough to grow gardens in our rooftops, while surrounded by water.
Bay, Oil on Pane,12”x 12”, 2018
Underwater, Mixed Media on Paper, 20"x 16. 2017 SOLD
Movement, light, blades of grass.
Shoreline, Mixed Media on Paper, 25.5" x33", 2017 SOLD
Sometimes seagrass gets washed on to the shores making these amazing zigzagging patterns. Along with them they carry traces of life that surrounds them. Living creatures like slugs, crabs, or muscles hang on to the eelgrass.
Moonlit, Mixed Media on Paper, 22.5"x 29.5", 2017 SOLD
Seagrass fluttering on the surface of the water in moonlight.
Night Crawl, Mixed Media on Paper, 20"x 15.5", 2017
A part of the "Something's in the Water" series, Night Crawl depicts shorelines sifting with rising water levels.
Reaching, Oil on Canvas, 64"x 54", 2016
My paintings are about color and the sensations of light that is essential for seagrass survival. The interconnectedness of a vast number of species sheltered, fed and protected by seagrass habitats is an inspiration for my paintings. Reaching is inspired by the amazing phenomenon of aerenchyma, the spongy tissue that forms spaces or air channels in the leaves of seagrass. These air channels keep the seagrass leaves reaching up towards the light and allow for photosynthesis.
Immersed, Oil on Canvas, 48"x 60", 2016 SOLD
Immersed depicts an ambiguous boundary between reflection and the invented reality of where seagrass live in this painting. It's a watery abstraction that encircles from one shore to another.
Immersed in Client's Home, 2017 Oil on Canvas, 48"x60", 2016
Bridge to Babel, Oil on Canvas, 70.5"x 84", 2016
"Bridge to Babel" started with color, line and mark making. As the painting evolved form light washes of diluted oil paint, images landscapes started to appear. Each time I would come into the studio a new shape started to emerge. I worked on this painting in the round, constantly rotating it. The charcoal line appears and disappears at different points creating implied connections from one shore to the next. The title and final charcoal of the unbuilt tower of babel appeared after the elections. My need to reference the importance biodiversity and cultural diversity coalesced in this painting.
Midori, Oil on Canvas, 36"x 36", 2016
Japanese for the word green.
In Water, Oil on Panel, 20"x 16", 2016 SOLD
In water is about seagrass biomass that grow at the bottom of the shoots. This biomass gets larger fuller and increases in size in healthy seagrass beds and helps with holding down carbon dioxide. It is found that seagrass beds can hold up to 50% of the ocean carbon dioxide in its rhizomatic roots. How cool!
Ever Shifting, Oil on Panel, 30"x 30", 2016 SOLD
"Ever Shifting" is about my experience of being in the field with marine ecologists Alyssa Novak from BU. I was fortunate to go on several field trips and learn how this conservation group harvests and plant seagrass to help with erosion. "Ever Shifting" is my interpretation of seeing both sky, water, and the beautiful diversity simultaneously. The rhythm and movement of many creatures all at their own pace - exhilarating!
Maybe Green, Oil on Panel, 12"x 12", 2016 SOLD
Working with Novak Lab in Wellfleet when the mist rolled in.
Bloom, Oil on Panel, 36" x 24", 2016 SOLD
Seagrass is a flowering plant.
Turquoise Travels, Oil on Panel, 12" x 12", 2016 SOLD
Green Sea Turtles hanging out in seagrass beds.
Blue Passage in New Home!
Blue Passage in New Home! Oil on Canvas, 26"x57.5", 20016
Blue Passage, Oil on Canvas, 26"x57.5", 20016 SOLD
Chasing Green, Oil on Canvas, 36"x 36", 2016
This abstraction came about by out in the water and harvesting seagrass for eelgrass conservation.
Zostera Marina SOLD
Patterns in nature reflecting light.
Beach, Oil on Canvas, 47" x 47", 2016 SOLD
Sensation of light and water.
Elliot’s Shoreline, Commissioned Painting
Oil on Canvas, 46" x60", 2016
Frank’s Jamaica, Oil on Canvas, 36″ x 76″, 2016
Commissioned Painting 2016
Manatee Swing, Oil on Canvas, 48” x 60”, 2015 Out on loan ABA
Imagining how manatees sea their homes in seagrass beds.
Becoming Ocean, Oil on Canvas, 28" x 78", 2014 SOLD
Macro and micro views of seagrass habitats.
Seahorse Songs, Acrylic on Panel, 12"x 12", 2015 SOLD
Seahorses playing among eelgrass.
Commission, Louise's Shore Oil on Canvas, 36"x 60", 2015 SOLD
"The painting looks great in our home, we are so happy" Louise Cadavid
Migration Route, Acrylic on Panel, 12"x 12", 2015 SOLD
Turtles journey across oceans.
Wate, Acrylic on Panel, 12"x 12", 2015 SOLD
Light and the importance of clear water.
Snorkeling, Acrylic on Panel, 12"x 12", 2015 SOLD
Snorkeling and sensations of light and energy.
Underwater, Acrylic on Panel, 12"x 12", 2015 SOLD
Seagrass though goggles.
Underwater Communities, Acrylic on Panel, 12"x 12", 2015 SOLD
Plankton in yellow light.
Underwater II, Acrylic on Panel, 12"x 12", 2015 SOLD
Seagrass in goggles.
Flowering Plant II, Acrylic on Pane, 12" 12", 2015 SOLD
Dense vegetation in seagrass beds.
House, Acyrlic on Panel, 12"x 12", 2015 SOLD
Embankments, mangroves, and interconnected habitats.
Linked, Oil on Canvas, 12" x 60", 2012 SOLD
Islands, seagrass and life.
Water's Edge, Oil on Panel, 12"x 12" Donated to W20 Fundraiser(NEAquarium)
Land meets water.
Intertwined, Oil on Panel, 30"x 30", 2016 SOLD
Oil on Panel, 30"x 30", 2016
Between Blue, Oil on Panel, 30"x 30", 2016 SOLD
Between Blue is painted on wooden panel to emphasize the textural surface. I started this painting with a pallet knife and modeling paste. I built up a thick layer and started drawing into the modeling paste. The waves lines represent seagrass movement. Other areas have organic shapes drawing into it with a sharp nail. Once this dried, I gessoed the whole surface and started glazing different colors with medium. This was followed by more impasto paint and charcoal line work. This layered process, for me mimics movements of tides. How the tide washes away and reintroduces new configurations. For me this mysterious experience of constant flux and discovery is inspiring.
Mollusks at Low Tide, Oil on Canvas, 36"x 60", 2017 SOLD
Low tide exposes a new configuration of multitudes. The rich density of life is revealed.