Discovery is my motivation to create and spend time in the studio. Writing and mental preparation pave the way to give birth to my ideas. Being in the flow is an act of intuition and of paying close attention to the chosen subject matter.
I work in series, whether abstract or figurative, to get to the essence of the selected subject and then to distill the greater parts into a new, cohesive whole. The various tools that I employ - paints, brushes, palette knives, charcoal, mediums, pastels and crayons - are servants to my chosen intention.
There is a bit of wanderlust which inspires me in the act of painting. I seek to discover the undiscovered, to find that which has yet to be found, to figure out. Being in a state of “curious intuition” pushes me to forge ahead into new lands of exploration, finding answers in the creative process!
artist’s sanctuary
I paint to be engaged in the river of life, the smooth and the turbulent. For me, it is all about the adventure and the process and to capture a slice of the world in which I inhabit. My thoughts and emotions are the impetus to my artistic expression. The work “lives” in a constant dialogue as I explore and respond to what is happening on the painting surface.
Communicating and staying connected to our culture by producing artwork that uplifts and brings a place of serenity to the viewer is a constant for me. The subject matter, whether the landscape or the figure, serves as a platform for this connection.
For me, the act of painting is very physical as I stand before the painting surface. In my series, I start with an idea about a shape structure, a color palette, and a mood that I am seeking. Once the first sweep of color or mark is applied, I allow my visceral and emotional reactions to guide the process to completion. Utilizing a wide array tools for adding, subtracting, and editing the painting surface, I stay open and curious about the unfolding images. This process evolves and informs one work to the next.
Going forward in this different time, I have been mining the softening of color and shapes. Washed in a new light of less pollution, I explore the earth’s freshness. The world around me starts to open slowly in another direction. The old vistas become new again as I move into expressing the land’s renewed brilliance.
