I have included here a collection of small comments and essays that pertain to my artwork. I plan on adding more from time to time. To make it easier to follow I have divided the essays into the categories below. I would love to hear from you if you find these ideas thought-provoking.
Every picture tells a story. This phrase has become cliche. But I believe it is useful to think of Art in this way, not just photos or paintings, but all of Art. The creator, who could be a musical composer, a choreographer, a writer, or a painter, has the seed
Record producer Rick Rubin has written an extraordinary book entitled “The Creative Act: A Way of Being.” I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to dive deeper into this subject, especially those people who are driven to their chosen art. In the first chapter he states that “Creativity is not
The idea of “story” seems at first to be fairly straightforward. The story is a way of human communication. What began as sign language or simple oral tradition has evolved into a myriad of avenues of expression using all of our senses. Our culture now is flooded with myths, religion,
The word “abstraction” is itself confusing. It can range between a slight “blurring” to full-blown expressionistic mayhem. We know it when we see it, we react to it instinctively. It is a spice that’s been added to our diet over centuries. When I am painting, I have, as a goal,
Everyone has seen an iconic image. The vase of flowers. Still life with fruit. Woman in a chair. On and on. We never seem to tire of a well-crafted image or a new take on an old theme. On the other hand, some of these same themes can seem uninspired,
Probably the question I get the most is “Do you know what the painting is going to look like before you start it?” The quick answer: No. The more open-ended way to ask the same question is: “What is your Process?” So let me break it down a bit first.
The moment I actually grab a paintbrush to begin the painting is now close. The Physical Process has begun. I have a wood panel on the easel that has been primed with gesso and sanded between several layers, usually I will mix white and black gesso together to get a
I am often asked about where my work can be seen, am I showing in exhibits or in galleries? This is a question that takes a longer answer than you might think, because I have never shown my work until recently. These paintings take a long time to do, for
There is another reason that I have not exhibited. When I first began painting, I knew that what I was doing was different than what most people were used to seeing. I have always had an audience that liked it, and others that would rather see something else. I get
I had forgotten an incident that happened many years ago. It was around sixth or seventh grade for me. All the boys in my class were into building plastic models. You could take your allowance money and go to the toy store and by a box that contained plastic parts