As I have matured, not only physically but artistically, I find that my imagery and what is important in my painting has changed. Early on I was fascinated by the figure. The light and shadows, the nuances of the flesh tones captured my attention. For a number of years I worked almost exclusively with the figure. The figure began in a simple background then evolved into a figure placed in an environment. From that point the figure was placed within an abstract composition. I realized I was becoming more interested in the construction of the art not just the image. This realization prompted me to look at other ways to make my statement. Firmly grounded in representation I started exploring the effects of light and reflection on transparent and metal objects. I always recall a painting in the North Carolina Museum of Art attributed to the Rembrandt School it was called Portrait of a Young Man.  What I found fascinating about this work was the gold necklace. It appeared to have been painted by an abstract expressionist and not a Dutch realist. From there I looked at Chuck Close and Janet Fish and how they used paint, color and “marks” of color in their paintings.

One of my consistent strengths has been drawing. During the beginning construction of my paintings I spend a great deal of time on the drawing. Planning the composition, determining the scale, the creation of the under painting are all an important activity in the creation of a new piece. As I begin the process of applying color I try to keep my marks simple letting them be as succinct as possible. I recall the impressionists and their color theory as I experiment with complimentary and analogous hues to create the impact I wish a particular area of color to project. I have found that the transparency of glass and reflective quality of metal have a level of distortion that allow for a great deal of almost expressionist brush work within a representational format. I tend to load my pictures with a variety of objects that provide contrasting surfaces and textures.

As with all artists, I continue to explore aspects while investigation the element of light and glass. Scale, color, and a variety of patterns have evolved and reoccurred in my work over the last several years I am continuing to refine my interpretation of space and the effects of light on that space.