 The work in these galleries represents many years of concentration on monochromatic imagery. The work explores the mystery of natural phenomena, though it often borders on the supernatural.
Presently, my themes are larger than they have ever been, as opposed to my previous work which is certainly more intimate and delicate. The imposing new shapes suggest an infinite world/space which is both elegant and overwhelming: one loses a sense of equilibrium in some of the views above the clouds. In other pieces, the pattern of the earth below appears to rise up as if pried from its surface. As in expressions of the sublime, my work straddles the space between elevation of spirit and human limitations of understanding.
I think of my work as a traveling experience. I rarely know how a piece will end up and I don't want to, though I trust that I will learn as I go and that the
piece will exert its own independence. Like an experiment, I employ certain constants:
- Chroma, one pile of paint that is derived from black.
- Some natural phenomenon as a subject which to me is open -ended, something I question or am haunted by.
 Very often a horizontal format resembling what is known asa "predella" which is defined as "a subsidiary picture to a larger one, especially a small painting placed beneath an alterpiece".
Though some of my smaller works are used as ancillaries to larger ones, they have a narrative life of their own. Some of my variables are:
- Tonal variety which is very subtle and controled by
- Medium (turps and oil combo). Drying time is crucial because at a certain point nothing can be changed.
- Arbitrary marks.
These I consider essential to my exploration as they "tell" me what to do next. Because the painting is done on masonite coated with several layers of gesso, the surface can be rubbed vigorously to uncover white or "light" beneath. I tend to use paper towels more
that brushes as they allow me to give up some control and work with serendipity... which is much more fun.
As I explore the surface of a piece, I am simultaniously reworking ideas. I try to let the idea reveal itself to me rather than to impose a preconceived image. For example, rather than fighting against a bump in the gesso or an inadvertant blur, I try to integrate the marks and to "listen" to how the composition can use an accidental element.
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