muse, noun
A person, an imaginary being, or force that gives an artist ideas and helps them to write, paint, or make music. In mythology there were nine Muse Goddesses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who presided over the arts and sciences.
My muses are often found among my family and friends. I am not a portrait painter, but because my narratives are imaginary it’s important to me to make the people in my work as real and relatable as possible. Each painting tells a story, and it’s my job to make you believe it.
I am creating a series of very short videos, about a minute each, celebrating the girls and women in my life who inspire my art. The first four are Hannah, Sydney, Alison, and Adriana. Some have been posing for me since they were very young.
In art history, muses were always women and often the wives or mistresses of artists. It’s what has become known as the “Male Gaze”. Think Bonnard’s beloved Marthe, or Picasso’s numerous live-in models/ lovers/ wives. Of course, in art history, nearly all artists were male - if they were women, you never heard of them.
Early on in my art career, I painted both male and female models - and self-portraits of myself, since I was both convenient and free. As my work matured, I wanted to create my own story in my work. My paintings describe narratives and use images that are part of our collective history, delving into our lives, dreams and memories. They examine the nature of womanhood, the psychology of transition, and the conjunction of dreaming and waking states.
Want to see more muses, or follow me as I work in my studio? Sign up here for my free studio e-newsletter or subscribe for free to my Substack.
