Artist Statement Throughout the years I have explored new dimensions of artistic expression, finding my contemporary voice within the realm of postmodern pastiche. While my art has been influenced by Abstract Expressionists such as Sam Francis and Helen Frankenthaler, I am also drawn to the work of Contemporary artists Pia Fries and Fiona Rae. These two artists explore the language of signs bringing together painterly motifs with pop culture references. Through their inspiration, I appropriate elements from art history, advertising and other cultural subject matter in order to show that tradition is always open to imaginative interpretation. My work allows the viewer to explore the range of sources that painting can make use of in extending its message yet connecting with everyday life. My intent in creating these pastiches is to expand the art historical language of abstraction by engaging with other media, technology and urban life bringing new influences to the practice of painting. As an artist, I have become fascinated with emerging online social environments, specifically the Web 2.0 virtual reality world of Second Life. Within Second Life I created a virtual representation of myself in order to connect with other artists, art enthusiasts and creative people from around the world. Like many art communities of the past; Paris of the 1920's and New York of the 1950's, Second Life influences how I create art as well as how I exhibit. The multicultural venues that are fostered in Second Life are seen in the motifs I use in my mixed media work.