My paintings emerge out of the process of the materials that I use. I begin the paintings by layering the surface with many layers of Venetian Plaster, a material that consists of marble dust, lime and plaster, and is a variation of the frescos used in Italy.
By layering the plaster, and by compressing the material through a build up of sanding, then burnishing, the plaster builds a patina and a shine. The force of the compression of layers reveals a cross section of materials, much like the layers of the earth through the passage of time. I then start the painting by applying oil paints in vibrant colors and drawing into the surface with delicate line work. The line separates the spaces and eventually creates a shape. The line quality moves through space and does not overtake the panel. I then think about how the line and color will balance the overall composition.
As I layer the color and line into the surface area, the shapes begin to appear. I then like to work with pattern through a variety of brush marks, some of which are more defined than others. I sand and burnish the surface in between adding layers of color. There is always and additive and subtractive process happening in order to balance the composition. The painting to acquires a spatial dimension and achieves a real atmospheric depth. There are forms you can see through, and there is a feeling that you can go beneath the surface and something is there. Since the light on the panel is constantly changing, the reflection changes with the light and the dominant colors change due to the reflection of the mica powders in the wax.
My work is about the patterns and images that randomly appear in nature all around us. The shapes are built up through different layers that are applied and scraped away. A line from one layer may come through another layer and a shape is formed. It is not an outline, but the building up of line and color, like memories that can fade but then come to the surface if something sparks a memory. I am interested in those murky areas where there are no clear truths. It is here where I try to imagine the laws of imaginary worlds and how I can make sense of the universe in which we live.