Painting is my interpreter, allowing me to decipher my experiences and render my understanding of nature and all things related to people: our psychology, biology, history, and culture. I am fascinated by the subjectivity of perception and love how art extols unique visions and interpretations but also communicates a shared meaning.  I am endlessly curious about how the elements of art tap into our innate visual code.

The sensual and evocative image of the human figure is the primary inspiration for my work.  Drawing from the live model is essential to my process because it’s so unfiltered.  I respond quickly to the specifics of each model capturing it with a unique mark.  I work from observation, memory, and intuition to first exploit an aspect of individualism and then transcend it.

The formal principles of Renaissance Humanism that have always informed my work are now useful conventions that I might employ, rearrange, or consciously abandon to introduce complex imagery or shifts in time.  My long academic study of the figure also helps me to distill the figure’s graceful geometry, its fleshy luminosity, and expressive gestures.

My recent paintings have evolved from a variety of visual sources and a hybrid of media. I might begin with an underlay comprised of tracings of my figure drawings on mylar or ink jet prints of previous work onto a new surface.  More narrative pieces might begin from a sketch of a personal photograph or a historic painting.  I then use veils of oil paint, translucent plastic, charcoal, or assemblage; layering lines, colors, forms, and materials to reflect the montage of senses and memories that influence my experience.

I use these visual aids and compositional scaffolds to begin; they are the armature I need.  But once they are in place, I can work more intuitively allowing paint and image to coalesce on the surface.  As the spaces and shapes develop, I begin to see patterns and synthesize forms.  This process of discovery and organization leads me to more expansive connections.  I hope that the feeling and idea of each piece resonates with my viewer and inspires their curiosity and an array of associations.