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. The escalating challenge of each contact with the canvas, the impact of an image on the background, the echoing of form, line, and color, in short, the basic elements of painting, inspire for me, not an ironic distance, but a completely satisfying involvement.

Manipulating the background to respond to the image 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. There is also a tension between the image and the background that I am working with by imposing various borders on the image within the existing edge.

I frequently use the dog as a subject 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 compelling compositional possibilities that, although derived from postures that are often in repose, always imply the potential for animation.