Fine Art
I ask myself: "At the meeting place between our inner world and our outer surroundings, what exactly happens?" Art seems to exist somewhere in between. We sense. We interpret. We create. We share.
I try to showcase the grace and strength of my subject matter, often with a contemplative mood. I also have the basic compositional goal of balancing the following elements: form, color, light, shadow, line, gradation, contrast, crisp edges and softness in each of my paintings.
My paintings and drawings are comprised of oil paint, acrylic, metal leaf, fabrics, shellac, conte crayon, pencil and pastel, using wood panel, canvas, salvaged board, slate, metal, and paper as bases.
Portraiture has been my starting point because the face communicates in an instant more than any other anatomical component can. Nevertheless, my subject matters range and combine a great deal, from realistic human faces and figures to surreal landscapes, creatures, abstracts, patterns, and collage. In this way--through multimedia and ancillary subject matter, I find a resolution to each problem—“problem” being a choice, “resolution” being a decision.
Sculpture, or in my case “constructing," has emerged for me in the form of additive (multiple piece, multiple materials) rather than subtractive (emerging from one piece) techniques. Both representative and abstract, this kind of sculpture frees me from the limitations of realism and 2D surfaces and reminds me to play.
For my "constructions" I use scrap metal, scrap wood, tool parts, electrical scraps, car parts, jewelry scraps, organic objects, fabric scraps, auto paint, acrylic, binding agents, ink, and anything else that will withhold through time.
Inspiration to my work comes from the port of New Orleans, the swamps of Slidell, international travel, rhythm and movement, physical athleticism, human behavior & psychology, anthropology, industrialism, and the strong values I allot to the natural world, to family, and to friendship.
