| While walking in nature, sitting quietly experiencing the sounds, the air, the light, the colors of our natural world as they change with the seasons ⦠this is what inspires me to paint. At one time, this was expressed in representational paintings in oil and watercolor. Over the past few years, my expression of nature has evolved to an intuitive abstraction of the things I see and feel. Now using oil and cold wax, I have traded my brushes for scraping tools, brayers and other things to make marks and apply paint using shape, color and texture. My work starts with a loose intention that is allowed to develop with no preconceived idea of the end result. It is a process of experimentation and discovery with an element of surprise. The medium of oil and cold wax allows a building of layers that are later scraped, incised or lifted to reveal the history of previous layers. I become mindful of the opposing elements of contrast/nuance, simplicity/complexity, and gesture/refinement to create balance as the painting is resolved. This process is what drives me. It forces a constant engagement that leads to unforeseen and serendipitous passages. I am able to suggest a story or feeling with a bit of mystery left to the viewer's interpretation. |
