I create my work using symbolic images. These depictions stir, not only my imagination, but the viewers as well. For this reason I am reluctant to share what they individually mean. An apple could mean wholesomeness and health or Eve dooming us all to exile. What you choose to interpret is up to you. The intrigue of my paintings is that they invite you to think, and to invent your own narrative. These stories will continue to evolve as we do, telling us what we need to hear.
The execution of the painting is much easier to explain. I use acrylics or oils on wood for most of my work. The hard nature of the wood allows me to manipulate the surface before, during and after the paint is applied. Many layers of ground are laid down first to make the work as archival as possible. The ground not only protects the layers of paint but also can be manipulated into a variety of textures. When the paint is applied, and still wet, tools are often used to carve into the pigment, drawing the subject in its surroundings. Many layers of glazed, transparent colors are then added to create the desired mood. Often, even when the work appears to be finished, I will continue to work into the surface of the painting to give additional force to the image.
