The "rosettes" — the small swirls of color that punctuate my paintings — hold a very special place of meaning in my work. I find inspiration through travel; I pull color palettes from everything from sweeping cityscapes and architecture to natural vistas and botanical elements. The rosettes signify those moments in travel that fundamentally shift something in us. 

It may be counter-intuitive, but I feel most myself when I travel. Maybe it has something to do with shedding the responsibilities and everyday fears of daily life; I find I am more outgoing, willing to explore, and less anxious. 

Whether I am traveling abroad to a country with a different language, scenery, and traditions than my own or to a neighboring New England town, there is always some moment — big or small — that shifts something in me. There are always moments in travel that change us, change our opinions, change what is important to us, change our understanding, if you're open to seeing them. 

My rosettes commemorate those moments, those shifts — whether they are cataclysmic or infinitesimal — that change us.