about this work

Abstract in form, each of my paintings is a personal meditation using the formal elements of visual language, specifically line, shape, color, scale, and balance. Texture is a primary focus, and I add marks and washes of color in layers, building a literal record of all the stages in the process. Language is evident but reduced to its essence, communicating only the need for obsessive mark-making.

My work references time and transformation, specifically to the ways in which surfaces are altered by external forces. Oxidation, cracks, watermarks, layers of markings made by the human hand — these are the vestiges of change that inspire my process. I’ve developed my own personal vocabulary of marks that appear in all of my work. Organic in personality, these marks may be dots, dashes, lines, or circles, or may sometimes appear to be a secret language that’s familiar, yet remains unintelligible.

I work in an iterative, intuitive process of personal discovery, first placing objects and shapes on the surface, then using these as a catalyst for response. My choices are made spontaneously, as I work in conversation with the painting. More elements are added in layers, while I continuously adjust the composition to maintain a balance between harmony and chaos. Mindful of the picture plane, I work to maintain a tension between flatness and depth. The textural elements added to the surface serve to intensify the spatial ambiguity while providing focal points within the composition.