Rooftops
Spokane Public Library - Central
Artist Statement
This series, Rooftops, started as a simple practice: plein air studies to strengthen my landscape painting skills. From my apartment in downtown Spokane, I found myself repeatedly drawn to the views outside my window, the tops of nearby buildings, nestled among trees, touched by shifting light.. What began as an exercise quickly turned into something more personal.
Painting en plein air has changed the way I see the world. I’ve learned to notice the quiet charm in life’s everyday details, the character of rooflines, and the way nature and structure coexist within the city. These moments remind me of my first home, a house tucked in the woods of Maryland, designed by my father and built by hand by my parents. That place, and the feeling it gave me, still remains influential on my life and the work I create. Two pieces in this series, Home and Stairs, differ from the rest, as they were painted from photographs rather than direct observation. These works depict that first home. They reflect memory, longing, and the comfort of familiarity.
As I worked on this series, I started thinking more about what home means, not just to me, but to other people. For some, it’s a physical place. For others, it’s a memory, a feeling, or a sense of belonging. I’ve become especially interested in the idea of place and how the spaces we live in shape us and how we carry them with us, even after we leave. Through this series, I hope to invite viewers into that perspective, to notice scenes and moments they might otherwise overlook, to reflect on their own relationships with place and memory, and to find a sense of peace and belonging within these pieces.