Artist’s Statement

As I am creating an artwork I often feel like I am trying to capture a moment in a story.  This sense of being involved in a narrative springs, I think, from my affinity for the human face and figure.  Depictions of humans hold more fascination for me than any other type of imagery.  Additionally, the quality of figurative art to seem like a moment in a chain of events or a single frame of a larger film is very compelling to me.  In my work I am attempting to capture this interaction of humanity with the surrounding world.

          My work falls into two simple categories: pencil drawings and acrylic paintings. I compose my paintings using mostly contemporary imagery.  I enjoy exploring a person’s relationship to the environment and the emotions such a relationship entails.  Many of my paintings seem to have a kind of paranoia or a sense of not belonging.  I use mostly dark, rich colors which tend to appear dramatic even when the scenario I am depicting is not.

 My drawings during the past several years have been depictions of a fictional medieval world.  No doubt many would call these drawings “fantasy art.”  I realize that many viewers reject this genre as a whole because of its tired imagery and its sexism.   I agree with most of their criticisms yet I am optimistic enough to believe that the genre still has something to offer.  I am trying to imbue my “fantasy” drawings with seriousness and sobriety.  To do so I try to avoid the idealization that is often found in such art and use a grittier, more realistic style.  I find that the simplicity of pencil fits what I am trying to do nicely, giving the finished work a stark quality, similar to a black & white photo.  

Some of my inspiration comes from the tradition of European oil painting.  I love the realism and extreme detail of Vermeer and Rembrandt.  The Pre-raphaelites continue to interest me with their respect for history and literature with Waterhouse and Millais being particular favorites.  The medium of Motion Pictures is also a big influence on my work.  I consider film art to be some of the best art created in the twentieth century.  I notice sometimes after finishing a painting that I have composed it like a shot of film.

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