ARTIST STATEMENT

I have always been fascinated with the mysteries of nature; her work flowing, waxing and waning as the seasons change---- as the earth evolves, responding and  adapting to trial and tribulations.  I see myself in a mirror image-- and as I get older, my work molding to more informed and tempered feelings, intellect, passions and introspection.

I have been most influenced by the Bay Area Abstract Expressionists.  I admire the strong use of color and line, the exaggerated tempo, and vigor of applying paint to the canvas.  I strive to do this in my own work, to produce contemporary art that is strong in color and composition, and work that shows my delight in the tactile qualities of the paint itself and the creative process in general.

I'm also greatly influenced by the Tonalist painters.  I love the abstract poetry of paint and rendered light-- there is a certain romance to this kind of painting that I find very intriguing.

Whether I work in oil, watercolor, mixed media, or on gourds, I use several different techniques to get the rich, layered surface texture that I like-- including wet-in-wet, sanding, impasto, dry brush, scumbling, and sgraffito. I am careful to observe that every mark I make upon the canvas, even if later partially painted over or deleted, will influence the final piece-- a silent record of the construction of a painting and it's creative process--- the rich surface influencing the emotion of the finished work.  

I am a process painter; I am not looking to tell a story with my work, nor do I have a set goal when starting. I add and subtract by layers until the composition and color feel balanced. This can take hours, days, weeks or months, until I feel satisfied that the piece is finished. Painting is, for me, simply the best way to express my visions, thoughts and desires---  hopefully instilling a sense of the largeness and fragility of life, the wondrous mysteries of nature, and the bitersweet beauty of our remembered pasts and the ever changing world around us.

I tend to work in series, exploring and extracting what I need and then moving on.  I am constantly looking for ways to grow, never satisfied with staying moored to the shore. I am influenced by nature, my intellect, and the strong emotional memories of my past; as thoughts are remembered, I endeavor to make sense of life and the world around me, seeking to put the illogical into a cohesive framework. This is my mark-making, where I am free to create harmonious orderliness out of chaos that I find so elusive in life--- compelling me to  look deeper and to make connections with paths crossed long ago.