Artist's Statement

Balancing the demands as an artist and academic arts administrator can take a toll on creativity. This is especially difficult when much of my creative work was inspired by artists who never attended an art school or wrote an artist statement. At the same time, what has sustained my desire to make art is the energy, imagination and productivity of artists and students past and present who I have served. Their importance cannot be underestimated. There aren’t any dominate themes beyond a conversation between my hands and eyes and what happens on the surface. And when push comes to shove I suspect my work is that conversation. Images like houses or boats might reappear, but I think of them as universal images. Though the medium is typically acrylic on canvas, I prefer to consider my process as drawing in paint, partly because of techniques that have influenced my development including sgraffito and mechanical drawing. What I have learned is the value of diving into the work. Each series might start with an idea, or build upon earlier paintings and drawings, or be inspired by artists who I admire. What eventually emerges however is dictated by day to day efforts. The unexpected drives a series even further.