AESTHETIC STATEMENT

Abstract Artworks:
My artwork arises from my life-long affinity toward all things in nature where I find unlimited inspiration in the ever-changing natural landscape. I emphasize the mysteries of the cosmos and the natural world by contrasting patterns, textures, colors, light and shadows as seen in all aspects of nature. In my abstract work, I am particularly inspired by these natural elements as viewed from an aerial perspective. Organic, curvilinear shapes and texture are always essential features of my work.

I often juxtapose the issues of beauty and decay, life and death, destruction and renewal which is ever presenting in all of life. I find beauty in imperfection, impermanence and in the transitory nature life as acknowledged in the Japanese aesthetic philosophy of “Wabi-Sabi.” This philosophy also teaches us to let go of what no longer serves us, to understand that all life is I flux and is in a constant state of transformation in nature and in human existence, whether literally of metaphorically.

As a former licensed mental health psychotherapist and clinical art therapist, as well and a degreed fine artist, I find compelling similarities in the concept of impermanence, imperfection and transience in human psychology. I instinctively delve into the depths of the human experience as well as the depths of of nature and weave together the striking parallels between the two. Abstraction is an ideal artistic style of art that lends itself to expressing emotional, spiritual and psychological concepts over literal depiction of the natural world.

For me, the process of creating is as important as the product. I work intuitively and spontaneously, often with no preconceived notion of what I am going to create. I paint by adding layer upon layer of paint, one on top of another until an image begins to be revealed. This process of painting over an underpainting is called “pentimento” where changes are made to a painting and repainted during the creative process. Subsequent layers of paint previously laid down are hidden beneath the newer paint layers. Sometimes the under-layers become visible, either purposely, accidentally. This layering, covering and revealing process mirrors the human experience, where hidden parts of ourselves are slowly covered and uncovered, hidden and revealed over time.

Landscape Paintings:
My representational landscape paintings are also inspired by many of the same factors as my abstract work. However, these representational painting are more a celebration of the beauty of the neural world and less conceptual than my abstract work. When creating representational landscapes, I observe and "feel" the natural world, deduces its essence and then retells that essence in a way that I hope will move and inspire the viewer on an emotional, psychological and spiritual level and connect the viewer to a deeper understanding of the mystical in nature.

Finally, one cannot fully explore nature and its parallels to humanity without also considering the issue of our current climate crisis, as the two are integrally entwined. Often my work will include aspects of climate change and its impact on planetary life. Our planet is resilient and has gone through many magnificent and tumultuous changes throughout its long history. It will likely survive the potentially drastic changes due to a changing climate, but the question faced by humanity is what species will find the altered planet unsuitable for life on our "pale blue dot?" Previous extinctions have occurred before and scientists tell is we are currently in the midst of the "sixth great extinction." One thing is clear, extinction is permanent and when a species is lost through extinction, it can never return again naturally. What is gone, sadly is gone forever!