statement
The interpretive possibilities of rendering an image are at the root of my painting; in their broadest aspect these paintings are concerned with maintaining the initial dynamic of drawing while adding the complexities of paint.
In the earlier paintings, addressing a single image multiple times resulted in populating the canvas with a repetition of the image in a variety of forms: as shadows, as interrelating pairs, or as a sequence. In subsequent paintings, the tension between the image and the background led to imposing various borders on the image within the existing edge. The application of paint, as it builds in layers from areas of exposed canvas, proceeds to embed the image into the background. In this way the image is held, sometimes uneasily, for inspection by the viewer. As well as being a device to contain the image, the interior borders and panels of color serve as a counter balance to the placement of the image.
In addition to the human form, I use the dog and the horse as subjects because, aside from their interesting place in our lives as both companion and beast, they offer a wealth of visual opportunities. Their strong, elegant skeletal lines and powerful musculature provides compositions that, although derived from postures that are often in repose, reveal their potential for animation and personality.
