Artist Statement
Out of the ruins of waste and the forgotten, hope emerges. I explore
the memory of loss, misplacement, disenfranchisement and isolation. We
all have these sentiments however hidden and unnamed. With images of
architecture and the remnants of humanity my works explore these
unspoken remembrances. My paintings are of course an exploration of
self. An exploration of which there is no end or solution. By
reflection we dare to examine the roots of this hidden and mysterious
loss. At this time classic forms are my method of searching and
examining these feelings inside me and each of us. I strive to convey
in my art that out of loss and destruction, the joy of hope and renewal
emerges. My work reflects a sense of loss, the poignancy of human
existence, nostalgia, and melancholy. Man and his creation in a
vulnerable position; an outsider separated by time but yearning for a
return to the memories of the past that are subconscious, unknown gut
sensual. As a child, fantasy was an escape from my family and the rest
of my environment. Drawing and painting was an opportunity for me to
create something beautiful, a new existence; a new world. Making art
became a puzzle for me to take apart and put back together, a world to
create. I felt like an outsider looking in. All this continues in my
work today. By taking buildings, objects, animals and other familiar
items, I present them in a new fashion, a new context, and a new way of
looking. The mundane becomes special. The trite and repetitious seen in
a new and different light. Familiar objects made magical and beautiful.
I am the observer and interpreter giving a new meaning to things, one
from the outside. In another context, ruins represent lack of
appreciation for our surroundings. Demolished factories, destroyed
cities, crumbling temples all have intrinsic beauty in a touching and
poignant way. We create our surroundings and then seem to quickly
ignore them. I see it differently and hope my work communicates that
difference. Still Life gives a moment of pause. Ordinary objects made
eternal. The everyday made fantastic, exciting and beautiful. These are
recurring themes of my work. Using gouache as my preferred medium
presents its own challenge. Seen as a "stiff" medium, I push it to its
limits. I enjoy the "accidents" as well as the feeling of paint and
surface.