Artist Statement

Like you, I’m constantly bombarded with current events and social media activity that rapidly shift my attention. Our decision making and actions are shaped by these events because, one way or another, they affect the way we relate to the world and communicate with each other. This socio-emotional aspect of communication underpins my work. In a nutshell, I paint about the ways people see themselves and relate to each other through language and actions. As a student of communication, I find our very flawed reasoning and behavior fascinating. Along these lines, I've added new paintings to several ongoing series. I've made the new paintings larger in scale, roughly 36”x 48” or greater; large enough for one to immerse themselves in at close range. All have stylized rich color, surface texture and expressive black line suggestive of stained glass lead matrix or old-fashioned, hand-drawn cartoons. 

I use intense color or gilding to pull the viewer’s attention away from a myriad of daily distractions and invite their eyes to play. I draw upon my liturgical art background and often embed symbols from my own ever-growing secular lexicon to offer clues that support a composition's theme, and use humor to couch aspects of a topic that might seem prickly. I people some paintings with anthropomorphic shapes or figures who could be anyone, since markings of race, gender and age are purposefully absent.  My intent is to invite viewers to drop their fear and anxiety for a moment and take time to see bits of themselves in the work, appreciate a relationship they might approach with more care, or envision a future world with interesting possibilities.  My painting style and color use are heavily influenced by the medium of stained glass, and abstract impressionists like Juan Miro and Joan Mitchell.  I am also a great admirer of hand-drawn animation by masters like Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble, and the characters of Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss.  I love the process and mental challenges of painting and feel downright intoxicated when immersed in lush color and gooey, buttery paint!

I don't think of paintings as decorative objects.  I consider every work of art to be a significant environmental element of the space in which it resides, possessing the potential to positively affect the quality of someone's life.  My perspective on the sociological aspects of the spaces we inhabit developed while working with designer James T. Piercey on many architectural art projects, both religious and secular.  My artwork is non-religious, but writings by liturgical consultant Marchita Mauck and other contributors to the AIA's (American Institute of Architects) IFRAA publications (Interfaith Forum of Religious Art in Architecture) contributed to my understanding of art's role and cultural, psychological and spiritual significance in our environments. A painting, though static, is like a computer, TV or movie screen; it has the capacity to inspire self-reflection, affect our moods, and trigger contemplation.

With new paintings in mind, I find myself looking closer at works by Cecily Brown, Claudia Tebben and Anslem Kiefer as I explore concepts that challenge attitudes around behavioral aspects of everyday living, and the things we do to keep sane and stay connected to loved ones.