I am constantly aware of and inspired by the juxtaposition in life of the seen and the unseen - the physical world that is explained by physical laws and science and yet seems to be ultimately informed by the personal and subjective forces of intuition, imagination, and predilection. The world is simultaneously real and surreal.

 

I enjoy creating an image on a two-dimensional panel with lines and curves, objects and shapes in color, of a believable space with recognizable elements, but one that is subtly influenced by subjective, unconscious choices that give it its unique mise-en-scène. I have a rule for myself: that imagination be my only source for reference in creating my paintings, therefore ensuring that my rendition is expressive and unique.

 

My intent is to create images based in realism but energized by unconscious preferences. I draw with rulers to vanishing points but without measurement or precision, knowing that every intuitive decision and inexact representation is communicating something meaningful and ultimately revealing. My hope is to make art that acts surreptitiously as a reflection of me, the artist, and in the end, of the viewer who experiences it through his own lens. The paintings are ordinary scenes subtly evocative of the personally extraordinary.

 

It is this mirroring quality that makes art so compelling. It shows both participants, the artist and the viewer, something about themselves that they weren't previously aware of, something finely nuanced that cannot be said with words.

 

I paint the entire painting in layers of alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, and white, and then layer transparent local color on top. The luminous white of the panel is preserved to illuminate the color. Gold leaf is sometimes applied to parts of the painting to create a quality of sacredness and exaltation. My process is to turn my thinking mode off in the initial creation of a painting and make decisions purely on whether some choice seems "right" or not. The paintings do include symbols relevant to my life, but surprisingly, I am not aware of their symbolic nature until the painting is completed. It is this process of discovery that is so fascinating.

 

My most enduring intent is to create art that is uniquely my own, so, while I have tastes in the art I like to look at, I avoid relying on them as conscious influences for my work. I believe in this process of cultivating and allowing intuitive choices to guide the creation of art that is truly distinctive, and I look forward to making my most surprising and revealing work yet.