Standing before the clean, empty surface of a gessoed canvas, aware of the possibilities, understanding that I can put anything I want on this blank space, laying down the first brush strokes, building the foundation, expanding the lines and shapes, each one leading to the next, judging what has transpired, correcting and reworking, transforms painting to a continuous action between the hand, eye and brain. After eleven years of painting, this process still fuels me – in fact, more so with each painting and most especially the ones that really "work". I feel I have tapped into the innermost mechanisms of being human. This process is my ideal.

This recent series consists of pieces where I allowed the work to change and mutate to take on it’s own life. I have kept my palette to a minimum to better capture a direct and basic image -- a visual essence. For the same reason, white is most often my choice for the background, which serves as a neutral base allowing the shapes and composition to stand out without competition, directing the viewer’s focus. Yet, beneath the layer of white, there is often a texture, at times rather heavy, that speaks to the history of the piece, emphasizing the process it took to reach the final visible surface. I made the works small for much the same reason. By returning to the basics in composition and palette the paintings have a direct visual impact, but their diminutive size makes them less intrusive -- quieter somehow, inviting the viewer to get closer to the work.

After completing the paintings, I add the vertical collage strip on the left side of each piece, which adds lyrics to the score of the painting. The collage element gives a narrative element to the piece, drawing the viewer to contemplate its meaning. The collage is created from the external world, hence easy to identify, while the painted portion is created from my internal, personal vision and more abstracted. By combining the internal and external, I have constructed a tension, equalized by the viewer.