A tension, a release, a darkness, a light, a dance, a fight, a fluidity, a serenity, an edge, a harmony, a mess that is brought back…  A risk.

Risk is essential in my work; I truly want each and every piece to be it’s own.  I am not in favor of doing the same ritual constantly. I would rather risk a good painting to bring about something unexpected, which in turn will make the work edgier and more exciting. I need the process to be fresh in every aspect; the risk is the best way to keep it all new.  I never hesitate to sacrifice a composition for something better once I feel compelled to go back in.  Although, the process can be extremely nerve-racking I will go in and throw paint, or scar the surface somehow, or use other materials to get a bit of chaos and then bring the mess back to a place of visual significance. In the end this process can actually bend toward a place of harmony and show the sophistication and the inner self trust of the visual instincts I have developed over many years of professional practice.  

Exploration and experimentation of surfaces and materials are commonplace in my studio work.  I love to let the randomness of the materials flow and let the natural trajectory happen whether the materials are more tactile, somewhat chunky and sculptural, or veils of wet paint both sheer and opaque.  I let the materials do what they naturally will and then I will deliberately manipulate a piece in the best way I see fit.  

Rhythm, harmony and flow are constants within my repertoire; I use layers upon layers of oil paint and other materials, which in turn adds to the consistency of an intense depth that I capture to build upon the surface, or which lies just beneath, or further down deep. There is definitely a lyrical fascination I play with, whether the flow is slow moving, or fast and intense.  This aspect reflects my love of dance and music both have been major influences in my life even in the earliest of my memories and are cast with in my practice on many levels. I often listen to music and dance while I’m in the studio.  My process is extremely physical.  It’s literally a wrestling match, or a dance with the materials whether harsh or harmonious, or both.

I use beat patterns, pallet knife strokes and pourings of paint to create lyrical expressions.  I also create more tactile, slow moving, or still, majestic archeological sculptural pieces, which together make a visual tension.  Sometimes I bring the two dynamics together into one piece, although I often use one method depending on the balance and vision I am striving to show within each composition.  My work tends to bend dark and gritty, but also light and harmonious sometimes simultaneously. I hone in on my instincts and constantly push beyond what is comfortable. At this point in my practice this way of pushing beyond has become subconscious in many ways and it allows me to portray a vastness in the visual language I wish to convey all of which comes about via risk.