New Work

Red Bathing Suit Series – float, sink or swim

This series of paintings came to life after my mother’s death in early 2015 when I began going through black and white childhood photos.

In an age when we all have multiple photos viewed instantly and documenting every moment in our lives, this was different. There weren’t very many photos and the moment was captured, you got what you got - whether the subject was grimacing or 1/2 out of the frame. I began working with these images that evoked the complexities of family relationships, not just visions of a happier, nostalgic past. I created abstract backgrounds, edited out some figures, made others more prominent.

I was working with my grief but also with a freedom to alter the photos by painting my story the way I remembered it or how I imagined it might have been. I’m hoping that viewers can identify with the paintings as well.

All paintings are acrylic paint on gessoed archival paper or board.

Please contact me with any inquiries. Have a favorite family photo? I'm interested in commissions and hearing your story.

Photos by Courtney Frisse