On a drive to the city, every mile offers a new vision. I notice rows of fence posts, then pass through a small town with interesting brick walls, a junk yard, an electronics store. Each scene inspires a desire to pick up a paint brush.
Whether viewing an ocean, a city, railroad tracks, a pile of rope, or an interesting individual, I'm attracted to shape, line and color more emphatically than the whole. When meeting new people, I want to know more than the face they present to the world. As they reveal passions and dreams, I see the individual as an abstraction along with the things they enjoy. Spying a beautiful face in a crowd, I wonder what that person is thinking, feeling, and it is not the face I'm eager to paint but what lies beneath that lovely expression.
The most interesting thing I've discovered as a painter is that all art is a combination of observation, personal interpretation and creative construction. After a period of internalizing the situations I observe, my studio calls me to the easel, and I allow my paintings to command a universe of their own.
For its freshness and energy, I prefer water media, but occasionally I lay in textural qualities with ink, pencil, oil pastels or collage. I love the way paint moves on paper. I also appreciate canvas for its stability. So I use both.
What I want most is to invest each painting with a spirit that entices the viewer into interactive communication. Within that brief bubble of time and space, I can share my personal vision. On the good days, it works out fine.