ARTIST STATEMENT

THANKS FOR VISITING WITH ME.  I HOPE YOU WILL CONNECT WITH SOME OF THE PAINTINGS. UNDERSTANDING A PAINTING NEEDS A DIALOGUE WHERE WE BRING OUR PAST TO THE PRESENT.

OUR PAINTINGS ARE BUILT ON THE LONG LINE OF PAINTERS WHO HAVE COME BEFORE US.  WE HAVE BEEN PAINTING FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT WE CAN REALLY DISCOVER SOMETHING NEW.  MOST OF US SEARCH FOR OUR "STYLE" AND WHEN WE FIND IT, IT IS AS OLD AS THE HILLS—AS PICASSO SAID.I AM SUSPICIOUS OF PAINTERS WHO ATTRIBUTE MYSTERIOUS THINGS THAT DRIVE THEIR WORK.  TO ME PAINTING IS JUST HARD WORK AND MOST OF US FIND OURSELVES FORCED TO LEARN TO PAINT AGAIN WITH EACH NEW PAINTING.  IF WE ARE HONEST, WE ARE HORRIFIED WITH EACH NEW CANVAS.   

I ASK ONE THING ONE OF MY PAINTINGS--THAT THEY ENCOURAGE THE VIEWER TO STOP FOR A CONVERSATION; AFTER ALL, A PAINTING IS AS REAL AS ANYTHING THAT WE SEE OR FEEL.  CEZANNE PUT IT ANOTHER WAY WHEN HE SAID THAT YOU COULD SMELL THE LANDSCAPES IN HIS PAINTINGS.  PAINTERS CANNOT SET FORTH ALL-ENCOMPASSING IDEAS BUT RATHER THEY SHOW AN EVENT OR AN OBJECT, WHICH WILL SOMETIMES, RIPEN WITH THE VIEWER.  THE POINT IS, EACH OF US BRINGS OUR OWN WORLD TO A PAINTING AND IT SHOULD BE NO SURPRISE THAT WE SEE PAINTING DIFFERENTLY.

I HAVE NEVER MET A PAINTER WHO DOES NOT ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND WHY HE OR SHE PUTS DIRT ON A CANVAS; I SUSPECT THAT THE CAVE DWELLERS ASKED THE SAME QUESTION.  ALL I KNOW IS THAT WE CHASE LIGHT AND BEAUTY AND THAT IS SUFFICIENT FOR ME. THE PAINTER KNOWS THAT THE OBJECT AND ITS SHADOW ARE ILLUSIONS. ONLY THE FEELING IS REAL.