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Though each of my bodies of work has a distinct theme, they are unified by interplay of color and pattern. I was trained as an oil painter, but started to work in watercolor because it was more portable. I’ve since fallen in love with the medium. I like the fact that you can’t fuss too much—a painting either works or it doesn’t.
I start each work by laying down a rough sketch in conté, which becomes the skeleton upon which I build the layers of watercolor. The drawings are meant to capture the lines of movement, not to provide a faithful representation of the objects. The charcoal line provides a contrast to the softer effect of the paint.
My palette is inspired by the colors found in stained glass windows and in underwater photography, imbuing the paintings with a sense of translucence and light.
My primary artistic influences have been the collages of Romare Bearden, the paintings of Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele, and the patterns of traditional textile design.
Hyde Park
This series is an exploration of pattern and color in the domestic landscape.
The subject matter is one of Austin’s historic neighborhoods, Hyde Park. I like that it doesn’t subscribe to the cookie-cutter sensibilities of newer housing developments. Turn of the century mansions exist side-by-side with student bungalows and newly built ‘green’ houses. The trees and plants are huge, robust and as visually striking as the homes. The overall effect is grand, shabby, colorful, and lush.
I gather photographic reference material for my paintings on walks through the neighborhood. The images that catch my eye are the ones that have balance; neither the manmade nor the natural forms take precedence.
Myth
This series plays with the question, “If the deities of the ancient world were still around, what aspects of modern society would they inspire?” Most people today don’t write poetry, but there are millions who post their thoughts and feelings online. Is a Muse to blame?
The paintings have an aspect of social commentary. The impulses that these gods originally represented still exist but have been sublimated by the modern culture. Thus Beauty becomes fashion and War becomes the fanatic following of organized sports.
The images are kaleidoscopic and dense with information. Each contains a main figure, but the secondary forms and washes of color and pattern obscure it. Today’s world is all about sensory overload and these paintings are a reflection of the frenetic way that we now receive and process information. Each viewer will see his own images and construct his own stories about the work.
Fairy Tales
This series is based on images from fairy tales and nursery rhymes.
The characters and stories are simple and yet capture a deep part of the imagination. I heard these fairy tales as a child and am now rediscovering them through the eyes of my children.
I gather photographic reference from a number of sources, but the composition and details are pure imagination. Rather than illustrating one specific part of the story, I combine the key story elements in one frame.
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