Artist Statement

My path to a painting begins with a personal concern, a thought inspired by a novel, a news story or a conversation boiled down to a single question or declaration. Previous statements and questions have included,” What tangible speaks of you?”, “Ignorance is the greatest common enemy.”, as well as “First and third world peoples are more similar than dissimilar.” and “Human social structure has much in common with animals that work as a pack.” When I start it is with a fertilized concept but not necessarily with the vision of a specific outcome. I let it ‘be’ what it ‘is’. I believe in allowing for opportunistic success that comes through purposeful discipline. If, at the end of a day, I don’t see potential in what I ‘have so far’, I use a wallpaper scraper, drag off the paint and leave. I start over. As my friend Frank says,” It’s not life or death, it’s only a painting.”I don’t make sketches, preliminary drawings, templates, models, etc. I might paint a study I believe could stand on its own. I paint.

Starting is easy. Stopping is tricky. Finding out what it will ‘be’ is the fun.

At this writing I’m compelled by what people have in common with other social animals.

A good example would be a dog.