How I work

I tend to follow my heart both in my life and in my work.

I paint for the joy and thrill of being fully present in the moment. With an intuitive response to the materials and tools I have on hand at any given moment, my method involves a long process of reworking multiple layers of paint and turning the canvas ever so often as I continue to dig, wipe, blot, and sand the painting until layer upon layer intertwined in this organized chaos, an image emerges taking over and influencing the direction of the piece. This free-spirited approach to painting allows me to stay present while expressing myself fully.

Through this playful dance, I continue to paint freely until at some point in the process I step down from the reflective, meditative frame of mind and switch to more of an analytical state of mind focusing on specific aspects that might need to be fine-tuned in order to complete the process.

With every painting I seek to translate my feelings in order to lend energy and life to my imaginary subject matter. I wish to evoke an emotion in the viewer; to trigger imagination and encourage reflection.

While I sometimes provide a hint of what the subject might be, most of my paintings contain objects the viewer might not immediately recognize. I aim to touch upon your subconscious and bring forth your personal thoughts to the surface, so you can carefully observe your feelings juxtaposed against the transitory shapes embedded within my work. My hope is to allow you to take a closer look; to connect yourself with my artwork and to come up with your own interpretation of what each piece suggests to you.

My inclination toward an interconnectedness with others drives my art. While I have my own interpretation about the finished piece, it is in the emotional effect my paintings evoke in their viewers that I find a confirmation of our interconnection; and it's through this unspoken dialogue that the artwork comes to life.

My art presents to the viewer a juxtaposition of randomness and precision; of boldness with a touch of emotional subtleness. The resulting paintings are about personal interpretation and experience, much like the Rorscharch test used in clinical psychology; I have my own interpretation about the finished work, and the viewer has his or her own experience. While both are equally valid, I frequently find that the inconsistent effect my paintings evoke in the different viewers is far more interesting than what the work really means to me. While I am the one that creates a painting, it is ultimately the viewer who is able to give each piece its unique life.