I make abstract paintings that are connected to, and born out of, my decades-long interest in the ephemeral, a concept often associated with flowers and nature. The perpetual spinning of the cycle of life and the desire for beauty in the temporary are major influences on me.
Driven by risk and the unique excitement of exploration and adventure that working with paint can provide, I rely on my intuition and creative history to engage my surfaces with gestural improvisation as well as control. The paintings are not planned and frequently include techniques of redaction and the intervention of earlier layers. I’m interested in making paintings that can’t be read in a single viewing but rather, keep giving and revealing themselves in repeated visits.
My paintings begin flat on my studio floor with layers of acrylic paint washes, allowing the colors to spill and drip over the sides of the panels. Once dry, I hang the canvases on my wall and paint them with oils and oil sticks. The process takes weeks to months to complete. During this journey, a painting can be painted over and over or scraped off, entirely or in part, before continuing. There are many layers in each painting. In some works, I leave areas of the acrylic underpainting showing through the oils, creating a sense of depth and space.
Connected to the lineage of the canon of abstract painters throughout history, the execution of my mark-making, color palette, composition, and more, reflect their influence. My work is concerned with infusing life within the paintings to further understand our relationship with universal patterns in nature and our place in the world.
