Artist Statement
I am a painter and a photographer. Drawing upon places I have traveled to and my inner journeys, my paintings reflect the beauty, harmony and mystery found in nature. Like the expressionist painters, my paintings are meant to provoke a feeling or sense of place, rather than the actual scene. I use simple shapes and bright color to convey the emotion to the viewer. The process of painting itself - the physical aspect of applying the paint, the movement of the brush across the canvas, the use of large bold brushstrokes, the layering of the paint on the surface - is the creative process. I quickly paint the entire painting with one large brush, then begin to layer color upon color, to "push & pull" the surface, allowing the painting to evolve, taking on a life and language all of its own. The painting, like the places I have traveled to, becomes an adventure, never knowing where I might end up.
In exploring the process of abstraction, my paintings lie somewhere in between reality and abstract; still relying on linear perspective but breaking some rules. I refer to my works as "referential abstractions". I usually explore a similar theme by doing a series of paintings until I feel the need to move on. There are infinite ways to capture the inner beauty and emotion of nature. I find the process of painting to be spiritually uplifting and passionate.
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