Through abstract painting, I combine the vocabulary of color and light with glazes of paint, layering and reaching through to a sense of history that reflects personal and philosophical meaning. This language of introspection tells of our own personal history, and that of our ancestors, through the visual cues of painting.
My paintings are abstract in the sense that they are the distillation or essence of what I see and feel. Much of our daily life takes place on the surface, but if we let go of the outer world we can find the space within that is contemplative and meditative. In that sense, I hope the viewer will make an emotional connection with that part of themselves through my art.
I am intrigued by color and drawn to the effect it has on the emotions of the viewer. When I apply layers of aqua, a glowing ocher, or a deep, rich crimson, I do so with the desire to pull the viewer into the work through the colors. The colors are not random, but chosen, to accompany the painting’s abstract imagery. The feeling that the work evokes then becomes, ideally, a point of departure to another time and place.
My inspiration comes from Laguna Beach where my studio faces the Pacific. As I look out onto the vast panorama of ocean, I am mesmerized by the ocean’s colors and I imagine what lies beyond the horizon. I split my time between the beauty of Laguna Beach and the richness of Verona, Italy, where I live and work in a 12th century palazzo. This city’s ancient walls and doors, with facades of peeling paint and plaster, hint at hidden depths to be culled for meaning. These architectural riches are portals to meditation and contemplation, a visual reminder of the history that has preceded us and gives us an awareness of mankind’s continuum in the history of the world. For me both the ocean and Verona are sites of contemplation providing Zen-like moments which find their way into my mind and artwork."
