About

Hi, I’m Cass.

I’m a painter, a photographer, and visual storyteller.

My passion is documenting life’s explorations. I’m interested in the personal excavations that help people transform. 

In other words, I’m not going to shoot your wedding.

Weddings are beautiful occasions. But what drives me as an artist is helping people document the tough stuff… the small pivots along the way to those big events. 

Whether it’s for a personal project or professional development, I work to honor your real-life scars, provocative lines, and complex curves that come with living out loud.

My approach

I love collaborating with clients on small projects. The best imagery comes from feeling permission to be yourself. Clients tell me that my personality, along with my open and direct communication style make that possible.

My process is driven by empathy, so I start by finding the best modes of communication that work for my client. Beginning with the consultation, through collaborative planning, shooting and editing stages, I flex the communication modes and environment to make the process work for you. This includes assistance in finding a comfortable and accessible shoot location, and which accommodations to make it possible.

See my Services for shoots, paintings or a combo of both.

Why you should work with me

I’m a highly creative and innovative artist who brings a vast array of past work experience with her. In no particular order- A bench scientist, program manager, retail associate, cocktail waitress, crime scene investigator, quality assurance manager, and mother. All of these hats come in handy!

I’m a great listener. I work well with individuals and small teams to collaborate on how to best represent their unique spirit and personal evolution. 

I create a supportive and personable setting for our work. I also work well with fellow neurodivergent and disabled folks, whether they openly identify or not. My philosophy around neurodivergence and disability is that we aren’t super-humans, nor are we tragic or broken. We are normal. We matter. I make room for this.

I find deep value in the exploration of self-acceptance, identity, and self-actualization. I find that our road to self-acceptance begins with discovering a safe and accommodating space for our natural human expression. For me, it is a passion to help others work on this journey through creative expression.

My style

A photography instructor once said that I “shoot like a painter”. It’s true. I’m a classical painter, who learned to document through photography. 

I blend my classical background techniques with modern themes and compositions. My style is intended to evoke the feeling of a vintage styled photograph or painting that tells a story, while preserving some mystery for the imagination.

My style intentionally fluctuates throughout my paintings and photography, allowing for exciting, flexible outcomes. The looks range from classic, painterly Impressionism, with highlighted form and composition, to an illustrative style, with hard lines, bold contrast, and richly cinematic colors.

My specialties

• Oil paintings
• Portrait & figurative photography
• Lifestyle & Environmental photography
• Professional headshots
• Candid shots
• Food & Still Lifes
• Product images
• Fine art reference images

My background

I spent a lot of time in art galleries growing up. My mother, an artist and gallery owner herself, taught art classes. My siblings and I learned to paint and draw beginning in grade school. 

As an adult, I was introduced to formal photography as an applied scientist, using it for documentation in my work. 

I began plein air oil painting to ease the stress and burn out from my science gig. Over the last decade, I shifted my focus to figurative expression, moved out of the science world altogether, and into full-time work in oil painting, photography and mixed-media (pastel, watercolor, pencil and ink).

My current works

I seek to create art that invites curiosity and engages the imagination. It’s my hope to conjure feelings of strength and positivity through my expression, while also provoking internal dialogue, open conversation and enjoyment.

My artwork is influenced by my personal experiences and various media relating to art, science, culture, and politics. My work is about self-inquiry, dialog and expression around areas of love, intimacy, power, identity, sexuality and gender. 

My latest works are celebratory erotic paintings and photographic prints like “The Pink Series”, an introspective self-portrait collection. I offer commissioned figurative paintings (from your photographs or mine), plein air landscapes, and still life scenes.

I’m writing a book about the lives of modern neurodivergent creative folks and how they develop their creative process.

Personal stuff

I love running, reading, hot yoga, beaches & tea. I’m queer, autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, disabled, and a Mom. I embrace these with grit and joy while living in the San Francisco Bay Area with two kids and one Tibbie-Pom. I’m learning and practicing how to be a better human.

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