These works from my “In Line/Line Up” series depict young girls who barely touch each other along with the juxtaposition of color with black and white. The grey girl draws the viewer’s attention because she seems out of place and not in line. The work asks what keeps individuals and therefore society in line and what does it mean to step out of line? Is our suppression of individual identity in favor of our public identity necessary for acceptance and success? These paintings explore our search for our personal and societal identities. I depict adolescent girls because I believe it is just at this time in life that we are seeking and experimenting most with our identity. I don’t think we ever grow beyond our adolescent selves. All of us remain perpetual adolescents seeking acceptance and love. We spend our lives looking to find the place that we fit in and to find our identity that, we hope, will bring us our happiness. But the final form, our identity remains in the hands of others. It is the outsider’s interpretation of us that matters. Our identity does not come from inside but is represented in how others see us. We are at the mercy of others. The adolescent girl knows this, but we as adults choose to deny the truth and proselytize that you should not judge a book by its cover

This series consists of both works on paper and works on canvas. The works on paper are done with gouache/graphite and measure no more than 7 inches. The paintings are done with oil and vary size from as small as eight inches up to 76 inches.