Painting
My images examine intimacy, emotions, isolation, and identity. Although I specialize in portraiture and the figure, the context and setting has become equally important to illustrate metaphor, narrative, and content. In more recent works (which will be on the website later this year) the subjects are abstracted, combined with architecture, landscape, and interiors. In the formal discipline of painting, my work is informed by impressionism, realism and abstract expressionism. My paintings are thick impasto and resemble sculptural reliefs. Each painting takes approximately two months to develop and involves an elaborate sequence of preparation which includes photo shoots, scaling, preparatory anatomical and topographical sketches, and acrylic under painting. Through this process, I have developed a large body of drawings, some of which I have exhibited separately from the painted works.
Recent Projects: “Allegory”
“Allegory” is composed of two painting series, which share an overarching theme of ‘conflict’. The first is structured as a visual narrative (most associated with literature or theatre) with pictorial liaisons between the images. These works address human politics and hidden dangers found in complex group dynamics. The second series investigates a more personal story of upheaval and inner conflict. In June of 2012, my partner and I discovered a large oil spill under our house, which served as a catalyst to develop a series of images which attempt to document the emotional journey of the clean-up. These paintings are in progress and will be complete by November of 2014.