Artist's Statement
I aspire that my work be a reflection of true self, whether it is expression of human condition and emotion, personal visions or connection with the Sacred. Nature is my connection to Sacred.
Layers
It is a creative obsession I possess, to work in layers. Ceramic figures are built with layers of coils, fired, then layered with matt glaze, fired again, then layered with 2 dimensional images painted in layers of oil. My oil paintings on canvas are painted with a dozen layers of transparent oil paint create depth and vibrant colors. Saturated colors are grounded with earth toned layers. There is a rhythm to the brush strokes that expresses joy. Infused in each layer is my articulation of the human condition. We are exposed to a magnitude of human conditions and emotions through media and personal experience. This awareness is layered into my work; through it all, it is hope that I am compelled to express.
Science and Art
I’ve always been drawn to the connection between science and art. Both disciplines deal in abstractions and innovations. Both explore the nature of reality. One augments the other, and having factual knowledge of how the world works enhances my art.
Many of my paintings draw on biological concepts and I’ve often worked with scientists to learn more about the natural world. For example, when I began the Koi People series, I not only studied the patterns on the fish, but I learned about their habitat, their evolution, their diets and their mating habits. Although my images may be surreal, they are grounded in science. Science provides a basis of facts, while my art explores the inner world of imagination, but the two are inextricably intertwined.
Artists have created images that later serve as the impetus for scientific inquiry. While science tends to concentrate on the objective, external world, the artist delves into the realm of dreams, myths, and abstractions. Often my paintings begin as dreams, and dreams are usually illogical. It’s this very paradox that makes me feel that science is such a strong part of my art. Both scientists and artists have at different times been accused of being heretics and celebrated as visionaries. Both artists and scientist are involved in transformation.
