Statement

My current works are developed using acrylic paint on 300 lb. rag paper or canvas. I enjoy both the formal aspects of art and its less easily defined intuitive and emotional side. The paintings are conceived from an inside-out approach. Using the elements of the world around me I paint with a desire to portray spiritual reality through the lens of the heart. With my faith in Christ Jesus, the images are designed suggesting the eternal hope and power that meets us in this natural course of life. The narrative themes of these paintings weave images through the compositions that point to God, always near and calling for our personal response to His expressed love. Significant within the imagery of these works is the representation of a lamb; Christ Jesus as the Lamb of God.

These paintings are built of layers of acrylic paint and mediums worked over with various washes of transparent color. The works display a “history” of marks and images, which have been created by the previous layer. Charcoal is often used mixed with matte acrylic medium to offer black or drawing type marks. At times the paint is applied with rich thick strokes creating a sense of energy to the image. This thick area of paint is often worked back through with various tools such as sticks or pieces of cardboard cutting in architectural and figurative forms. Surface textures and the reflective qualities of the paint are also elements within the paintings that are used to develop interest within the compositions.

During the process of painting I enjoy the dialog that transpires between the work and myself. As I paint, this dialog directs the image in unexpected directions. Sometimes this process employs little effort and at other times there is a wrestling that must be endured before the conclusion of the work. But in the end the paintings are completed when they speak to the heart of the viewer. It is my desire to create images that speak to the heart as well as bring interest and delight to the viewer.