ARTIST STATEMENT

When I paint, my brushstrokes become a personal language. I don’t look for control, but rather for the natural rhythms that reveal themselves in the painting and in the process. I then allow the process to unfold naturally on its own. For me, this leaves little room for dogmatic interpretation. When I’m done I consider the finished work a spiritual journey.

I honor a thought by making a mark on the canvas. I do not know why a mark appears or pay much attention to how or where. Art critics call this process "glossolalia" – a language all its own. I like this process because its unique to me and to how I’m feeling at a given time. I feel original, not constrained by the dictates of others.

Through a process of layering and reduction, the crucial elements of line and form begin to emerge in my work. I want to convey a sense of time, space and ambiguity. Great activity and subtle serenity can live side by side within one piece, giving viewers a range of different interpretations. But it is the unseen that inspires me.

I am contemplative by nature. When I paint, I want to invite the viewer along with me on the journey.

The natural world and relationships have been my key inspirations. My childhood was spent in the rolling hills and woods of Southern Indiana, which informs the spiritual landscapes I paint. I spent later years amid the vibrant bustle of cosmopolitan cities. Living and painting in Santa Fe offered me a return to the mystery I found in nature, combined with an opportunity for both artistic solitude and creative community.

Now living and working in Dallas, Texas, my journey has come full circle. I will continue to follow my calling and express myself visually.

I invite you to join with me in the exploration of my creative and spiritual being.