Painting at FLAG Art Foundation

I have painted my fair share of ears over the years but my latest one is a little different and it’s about to make its debut at the FLAG Art Foundation in NYC.

My first painting of 2026 titled Reclining Nude features an ear with a little more context and a lot left to the imagination. It will be included in the exhibition S-Curve at The FLAG Art Foundation from February 12-April 25, 2026. The exhibition in its own words “brings together artworks from the 18th century to present day that reflect on the human body in an active state of repose. Encompassing an array of eras, media and formal approaches, the exhibition illustrates the elasticity of an art historical trope and underscores the complexities and possibilities present in contemporary depictions of the body.”

My little 3” x 5” oil painting will be in good company among the names of Gustav Klimt, Maurizio Cattelan, Louise Bonnet and Giovanni Battista Piazzetta among others. Yes you read that correctly.

I can’t wait to see it come together.

To read more about the show follow this link: https://www.flagartfoundation.org/exhibitions/s-curve

Opening reception: Wednesday, February 11, 6-8 PM

The FLAG Art Foundation 545 West 25th Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10001

Portrait Society of America Finalist

Last year I was generously gifted a membership to the Portrait Society of America and have been throughly enjoying the frequent magazine and email updates. As a new member, I decided to dip my toes into the competition and entered two paintings into their annual Members Only Competition. I was therefore very shocked when I got an email stating that both paintings had been awarded finalists in their respective categories. It’s always nice to get this type of acknowledgement from an organization whose recognized work is always at a highest caliber.

Below are the two painitngs. Looking Right at You that was awarded Finalist in the Outside the Box Category and Kite Flying at Sconset Beach in the Landscape category.

Phillips Auction House

It was that time of the year when the New York Academy of Art holds its annual Take Home a Nude Fundraiser although this time the Phillips Auction House hosted the event. There were countless paintings, drawings and sculptures, a live auction featuring the works of Will Cotton and Walter Robinson and the always anticipated stilt walkers. I donated a small tree study from my residency at Kylemore last year and was very happy to see it found a new home. These types of events are good for the soul and of course future creators who are lucky enough to study at my alma mater NYAA.

Juried Summer Exhibition

Last week was the opening reception for NYAA’s annual Summer Exhibition. It was a fun event and a great excuse to hang round Tribeca for the evening. The work will be on view until July 13th so if you’re in the area do check it out!

A very special thanks to jurors David Fierman of Fierman Gallery, Jackie Klempay of Situations and Issac Lyles & King for including my work among many talented NYAA alumni and faculty. 

On view daily 10am-6pm 

June 12- July 13

111 Franklin Street NYC 

HUMANS Exhibition in Williamsburg

Today is the last day to see HUMANS @kidsupergallery featuring two of my paintings alongside work by @noahkocherart, @emcroteauu, @pedrobaez89, @amaniheywood and @_nicholascordeiro.

Endless thanks to @_rianmccarthy_ and @aphras for the brilliant curation and vision.

The work is on view from 12-7pm at 158 Roebling Street in Williamsburg.

I’m still feeling the love from all the people that showed up for the opening on Thursday evening. This is what it’s all about. ❤️

More Ireland

Did I manage to sneak away to Ireland for another month? Did we lose power for a week? Has it still been the most magical experience. Yes, yes, yes.

I’m entering into my last of four weeks at Kylemore Abbey through the generosity of The University of Notre Dame and The New York Academy of Art. Whereas the summer was filled with a lot of trips and a week spent in Galway, this time has been more focused studio time while living in the west coast castle.

I set out with the mission to complete a larger painting of a study completed in the summer and I’m happy to say it’s nearing the finish line. It’s a bouquet of flowers I encountered during local hikes or from the garden on the property and placed in the studio windowsill. It’s a location specific still life that reflects the beauty and reality of the flora in the area. I’ve painted a few of these narrative still life paintings and this one, while a bit of a painting struggle, has really made me want to continue with this series.

Sotheby's NYC

Another Sotheby’s “Take Home a Nude” fundraiser success! The evening always flys by in the blink of an eye but I got to catch up with many familiar faces and see some really incredible works by some of my academy peers. My painting “Trust Fallen” was included and sold to a collector who’s purchased another one of my works though the Academy. That’s always a happy thought! It was a short stay in NYC for me but well worth the trip!

Beginning of Fall

This past month has been a busy one. I went straight from exploring the Irish countryside to another island a couple thousand miles away. For the past five weeks, I’ve been painting, drawing and teaching in Nantucket. I spent most of my time in the studio but I’m happy to report that I did finally manage to get some swimming in and it was heavenly.

Now, I’ve run back to Providence to start the fall semester at RISD. I’ll be teaching two semesters of drawing this year with the Illustration department. It’s a balancing act, juggling all the working, teaching and traveling but I wouldn’t be happy doing anything else.

Last Moments at Kylemore Abbey

Four weeks just flew by and I couldn’t be more grateful for the experiences I had and the people I met. The Kylemore Residency ended with an exhibition showcasing all the work created over the past month. This was accompanied with readings from the creative writing students we shared the experience with and members of the entire community showed up in support.

It’s hard to return to a regular schedule after an experience like this but I have a feeling I’ll be back.

Kylemore Residency in Ireland

Artist’s residencies are a privilege. They’re a way to break up your normal routine, change your environment and expand your artist community. I’ve been waiting on this one for a few years now and I’m so thrilled to be spending the month in the west coast of Ireland.

The first of four weeks of The Kylemore Residency was spent in Galway and it was anything but boring. We hiked in Coole and Burren Parks, sketched, explored the museums in Dublin, ate way too much delicious food and walked in a near constant transition between drizzle and sunshine.

The remaining three weeks have been spent living and working in a Benedictine Monestary at Kylemore Abbey. To say these views are amazing is an understatement. I’ve been painting and of course hiking almost every day. The studio is a converted library with the most distractingly gorgeous view of the mountians opposite the lake. I’m surprised I’m getting any work done here, but I’ve been working on a floral still life, plein air studies and many small sketches.

Thank you to @newyorkacademyofart and @undkylemore for making this residency possible.

Move to Providence!

Regardless of the terrible inconvenience of moving canvases, paints and easels, I have somehow become a bit of a nomadic artist over the past few years. I’ve been everywhere from New York to Charlotte to Nantucket, but I am finally settling in somewhere (sort of) in the middle of it all. This past month I set up my studio space in Providence, RI.

I lived here for four years while studying at RISD but the rumors about a RISD bubble are very true and honestly I didn’t get out into the city very much. That was also quite a few years ago now so everything feels new and exciting.

I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of painting and getting out some of these ideas I’ve had swimming around my heard for the past few months. It’s a good start to 2024!

"Choices" sold at Sotheby's Auction House in NYC

“Choices,” featuring two figurines in a strange tabletop dance, sold at the annual “Take Home a Nude” fundraiser at Sotheby’s Auction House in New York City. I was thrilled to have my painting selected in the curated exhibition and was even more excited to meet the collector who took her home. There was a mini bidding war which is always exciting to see if not a little nerve-racking. The whole evening raised over $650,000 in scholarships and programing for future artists at The New York Academy of Art.

2023 Artist-Patron Award

I’m a little late with the news but I wanted to make note of the momentous event that was The Artists Association of Nantucket’s 2023 Annual Meeting. It was here that I was awarded the Robert C. McDougall Promising New Artist Award. You can tell by the size of my smile that I was pretty happy about it.

My Week of Portrait Painting

It’s the end of the second and final week with Rome Art Residencies and instead of continuing to paint outside, I decided to learn from two of the living masters within the comforts of a studio. We focused on a single portrait painting, dividing time between demos and painting from life. The class was taught by David Kassan and Shana Levenson, two artists who I have admired for years. I tried to micic their very specific way of working, using a full palette of bright colors, tiny brushes and a slow buildup of countless hashmarks, but alas a little of my own tendencies crept in. Artists can only try so hard to mask their innate way of working but in the end I learned some new techniques and that David and Shana are incredibly patient artists.

Two weeks have never gone so fast but I had an amazing time all thanks to Rome Art Residencies.

Rome Art Residency

Thanks to the generosity of Rome Art Residencies I have been living in Rome for the past week and a half. I am all settled and can finally grasp how lucky I am to be in one of the most beautiful cities and learning from the great minds of artists like Daniel Sprick and Brian Booth Craig-Wankiiri. My residency began with daily plein air painting across Rome, each day with a new view and new painting. The second week I get to study with David Kassan and Shana Levenson. This is literally heaven.

“The Birds and the Bees”

This weekend marks the end of “The Birds and the Bees” with Robert Lange Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina. It featured art from a number of artists asked to share their bird and bee inspiration. They specifically asked me to revisit my wreath paintings with a feathered approach. I’m not sure I would have gotten their on my own so I’m incredibly grateful to them for this new combination.

For me, the ears have always been quiet, but the combination with the loud feather imagery and “eyes” in the peacock wreath is something I am quite excited about. These may not be my last wreath works after all.

"Welcome Back" at The NYC Culture Club

“Temptation” is part of an exhibition in a very exciting new venue with @nyccultureclub from July 21st through August 28th. It will be on view at The World Trade Center Oculus C1 Level with works from a great group of artists.

The show “Welcome Back” features works by @alexcohenart @annaweyant @aptheangel @riiisaboogie @cavierart @danielma02 @isisdavismarks @helina.metaferia @chellisbaird @kerryirvinefineart212 @maryamturkey @animotisart @sansbam @nyareeta @geuryunglee @sarpkeremyavuz @serenmorey @digitalbeing @artdegenki @ricardoarangoart @rafunks @jimbroskikanobi @amafoos @rezones

Special thanks to @parkercalvert @claytoncalvert who curated the show!

BBA Artist Prize 2022

If you happen to be in Berlin from now until June 18, 2022 head to Kühlhaus Berlin to see work from the 25 shortlisted artists in the BBA Artist Prize. I’m grateful to be exhibiting three paintings among a number of talented artists from around the world. I wish I could see it in person so if you’re nearby please go see it on my behalf. And send photos!

Venue: Kühlhaus Berlin, Luckenwalder Straße 3, 10963 Berlin

Exhibition: June 3- 18, 2022

Open: Tues-Sun, 11:00 - 19:00

The Hale Residency in Nantucket

Yesterday I arrived at my new home for the next month. All thanks to The Artists Association of Nantucket, I get to make art in a beautiful and scenic island for the month of February. I have been awarded the Hale Residency which includes a private painting studio, spacious apartment, oceans without horizons, sideways snowstorms and ample seashell collecting. I can’t wait to get started. Let’s see where the island takes me.

Second Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant

Greenshields.jpg

Around this time last year I was dancing around the room with the news I’d been awarded a prestigious artist grant. Well now I’m able to do that all over again because I’ve just been awarded a second Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant. Their generosity is unparalleled and I’m so honored to be included in the long line of figurative artists who credit the foundation for helping them fulfill their dreams of painting. Here’s to another year of doing what I love most and to the amazing generosity of those who make it happen. ❤️ Thank you #elizabethgreenshieldsfoundation