My Process and Style

There are 3 stylistic elements to my work...

1. Texture and brushwork: I have a consistent and deliberate focus on the tactile quality of the paint itself, focusing on visible, energetic strokes, heavy impasto, layering and scumbling, and a variety of textural techniques, both physical and compositional.

2. Color and contrast: I primarily use high-contrast palettes, saturated non-realistic color, and complementary colors (although my work is occasionally more muted).

3. Subject and composition: While my subject matter is diverse -- landscapes, cityscapes, abstract, nature -- my interpretation of these subjects is stylistically consistent, focusing on an expressive representation of primarily natural subjects, simplified into their core forms and energy. I push the subject matter significantly towards abstraction, where shapes, lines, and colors become the primary focus, rather than the literal object they represent.

Most of my paintings emerge from a place of intuition, where the canvas becomes a dialogue between my conscious and subconscious mind.  I begin without a fixed idea, allowing the artwork to evolve organically, resulting in pieces that are both captivating and personally meaningful.

My intuitive painting sessions begin with a burst of free expression, as I energetically cover the canvas with paint.  This initial outpouring gradually evolves into a more contemplative "call and response," where each stroke is a considered reaction to what has come before. The painting journeys through numerous stages of development, until it finally reveals its true form and purpose.

In addition to my intuitive work, I also create paintings based on photographs that I've captured. I find inspiration in the natural world, often venturing out with my camera to discover unique and captivating subjects.

I have primarily painted with acrylics, but I am currently exploring oil paint and am really enjoying that, so oil will likely become my medium of choice in the near future.

I like to paint on different substrates, including wood panel, canvas, and paper. Wood panel is typically my favorite because of its strength; it can stand up to heavy sanding and scraping. 

I mostly like to paint on a large H-frame easel, in my studio.

The surfaces of my paintings are heavily textured, with a palpable sense of depth.  Ridges, grooves, and scratches intertwine, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow.  Because the texture often originates from unseen layers of paint, the viewer is left with a sense of the painting's history and the subtle influence of these hidden depths.