I am interested in the way a painting – a flat, inanimate object – can evoke feelings of joy, whimsy, wistfulness or serenity. I believe the “aesthetic response to color harmonies” is responsible for stimulating these feelings and for that reason much of my study has focused on color.
The paintings are representational with a dash of abstraction. Maybe you could say I am an ‘Abstract Impressionist.’
A successful painting maintains the viewer’s attention. To captivate the viewer, I try to energize the painting with bold brushwork and a variety of mark-making. I find representational painting more interesting because it has the illusion of 3D space which is typically absent in abstract work. Because one can imagine oneself in the painting’s space, that is one more way to interact with the painting.
About half of the paintings are done with a palette knife. The palette knife is a great tool. It forces simplification and eliminates detail. The resulting painting has interesting texture and better flow because it has fewer sharp-edged shapes to stop the eye.
This short video has no sound, just images….
