In my new series titled “Earth Rhythms,” I explore the essence of nature’s grandeur and highlight the intricate layers that emerge from the geological rock formations in the southwest. In 2023, I took several road trips and traveled through Arizona, southern Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado. It was not my first trip through the southwest, but for some reason I saw the landscape with different eyes this time. I felt a strong connection to the land – a sense that I was meant to be here – that this was home.

Having moved to the US from Germany almost three decades ago, I had still felt like a visitor on occasion lacking a sense of belonging. During this trip, something changed. I felt that I had arrived. It was a profound experience that compelled me to capture and express these emotions in my work.

In my paintings, I combine a variety of media. Typically, I will begin with layering of acrylic and India ink to create an organic and fluid background. Working with ink forces me to relinquish control and I allow the ink to flow freely across the panel. I’m intrigued by the element of surprise that becomes the starting point for a piece. I create texture with acrylic paint and gold leaf and add layers of transparent colors. Colors, markings, and textures in my work are deliberate choices creating a specific mood and resonance. Each painting is the result of this dynamic process during which objects emerge, are partially painted over, or merely left as glimpsed fragments.

My intention is to evoke a response, to uplift and inspire those who engage with my paintings. Art is not merely a visual medium but a conduit for connection and expression, a testament to the beauty and complexity of the natural world. I look at each painting as a journey through the stratified realms of my environment, where history and art converge in a harmonious dance of texture and colors.