Painting Theory

I paint because I love to paint. Emotion is what drives my artwork. I represent how I feel, not what I see. I like being alone with my emotions which I represent in the work using stroke, color, texture and movement of medium on the surface. In the past these elements were very active. Thick paint - acrylic, oil,oil sticks - covered and layered the surface. More recently, my work is more reductive and about applying and removing paint. My palette and gesture is also reduced, creating tone more than stroke. Layers of color emerge through color. I am surprised that color is becoming so important because I always fought with it and have never felt successful with it.

My technique involves experimentation with media. I prefer to push conventional mediums beyond their usual usage. I like to figure out what to do with them myself, rather than being told how to use them. The results are more personal and interesting. Surface is important to me. Does it have to be on a stretched canvas? What about a found object? I paint on whatever strikes my fancy with whatever speaks to me. Periodically my work deals with the concept of edges or boundaries of the piece. Where does the artwork end? Does it have to end where the canvas ends? Does it end where the wall ends? In these works, the concept is the most important aspect.

Although the pieces I have done related to this concept are not as strong as I would like, I look forward to exploring this idea further in the future. I would like to continue to experiment and explore many of my thoughts and feelings and see what changes the future brings.