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I gather images for my paintings based largely on their initial emotional impact. This first attraction is intuitive, and it happens as I drive, wander, and snap photos. I believe that formal elements such as light and shadow, color, contrast, shape, and rhythm play a large part in this initial attraction. Anomalies in lighting and unexpected forms also grab my interest. Returning to these photos and painting directly from the landscape help me to sift through the images—those that remain emotionally and compositionally compelling over a period of time usually make their way into my work. I emphasize light, color, and mark making in my work for their ability to carry emotion. No color exists in a vacuum—I am interested in how they play off each other and how this affects the mood and composition of the piece. Oil and alkyd allow me to vary paint application to create focal point, or to emphasize aggression and passivity, solidity and atmosphere. The landscape is full of metaphor, and subjects often take on a symbolic or personal meaning as I spend time with them. |