Artist's Statement
My work is exciting.
It’s colorful, figurative, and dynamic. Frequently there is an implied narrative. “What’s the story here?” you might ask upon seeing one of my paintings.
I’m a social commentator manqué. I have a strong point of view about the ironies and foibles of human life; and it often comes out in my work. My paintings are designed to communicate - like TV. You know, it’s not “high brow” where the concept is more important than what you see. Yet there are many symbolic themes reflecting the variety and complexities of my own life. Take for instance, my political stuff. I used to work for a United States senator. And I’ve been engaged with politics on a local level. I'm interested in who in a democracy ends up representing the people, or who the people allow to represent them, and that provokes me.
Composing a painting is like writing a song. Some pieces are violent. Some are tranquil. Some are sweet. And some are jarring. In the end, I’d say, the central idea behind all of my paintings is this:
“Stop and Look. Stop and Look. Stop and Look.”
I’ve had a few people ask me about my work. “What are you doing in this painting and why did you do it?” Most of the time, though, people just get it. They might ask a lot of questions about a hill of rope with some mirrors in the middle of the museum. But mine isn’t that kind of work. It’s pretty straightforward. My paintings are carefully constructed, the drawing is clear, and there’s a certain precision. And yes, there’s a “once upon a time” feel to them.
I plan a piece, prepare the materials, lay in the foundation and then I do the work. There’s an interaction going on between myself and the canvas. I talk to the painting and the painting talks back to me and we agree on certain changes and adjustments that get made as the work progresses. It’s a marriage between me and the picture.
There are techniques and laws of composition. Perspective, colors beside colors, dark and light, the placement of elements. Purely plastic considerations, the engineering if you will. And then there is the expressive content. Humor, social criticisms, joy. Sometimes my paintings are just joyous. Like when I paint dogs. It’s just wonderful and fun to look at those beautiful dogs, you know.