Artist Statement

Oil painting allows me to focus intently on the endless possibilities presented by simple organic forms. A representational image of an apple or a pear, glowing with life, is no longer perishable, caught forever in its momentary state of perfection.

Layering describes both the materials and the theme of my work in mixed portraiture, which seeks to reveal the inner mystery underlying visible qualities. Building up, then peeling away the surface, searching for the person within: another layer creates a new identity. There is a hint of familiarity, but at the same time certainty is elusive, there is always more- and less- than meets the eye. Charcoal figure drawing enables me to move across a surface with my whole body, in a rhythmic, fluid motion that is incorporated in the visual expression. A sensual treatment of fabric gliding over and around the human form evokes the sense of a second layer of skin.

An art teacher of mine once gave me an image of a dying winged male with serpent legs sculpted out of marble. Haunted by this figure, I traveled to Berlin to see it in person at the Pergamon Museum. I discovered it is part of the Pergamon Altar. To me, the altar captures the chaos, threats, anger, genocide, fear, dishonesty, and ego of man. Viewing this altarpiece reminded me of how people have been fighting for centuries over their beliefs. The altar was built during the first half of the second century by King Eumenes II, a ruler of Pergamon who enhanced the wealth of the city, turning it into a cultural capital. Originally, it was located on the terraces of the acropolis of the ancient Greek city of Pergamon.

To build structure and form in the Pergamon paintings, I used acrylic medium, sand, and oil paint. Building layer upon layer, it was possible to create a new skin. Each painting conveys a sense of the passing of time and the aging of stone.