My work explores the idea that painting and drawing have the ability to present inanimate objects in ways that allow the viewer to empathize with them. There is a quiet conflict in my paintings between the characters (rocks and walls) and their surroundings. The rocks huddle together for shelter. Their tenuous relationship both defines and is in conflict with the space around them.
This tension is reinforced by my painting process. I alternate between painting boldly and picking away at the surface, causing my paintings to contain strong, direct clarity underlined with wavering doubt. The color is often muted and limited, revealing a heavily worked surface of incised lines, thick paint and sanded, bare canvas. My paintings start off crowded and busy. Over time, I add and remove until what is left is clear, concise and specific to that painting.