I am often asked how I come up with my ideas for a painting. This is difficult to explain, because most
people are looking at it from a completely different point of view. A lot of artists get an idea, and seek to
represent that idea. This is the way most people think, and the process that they expect. To understand
what I do, you have to forget this way of thinking. What I do when I want to paint has less to do with
painting something specific, and more to do with seeking the truth.
When I paint, I do not care about showing a specific image. I may have concepts or ideas, but what I
am looking for is a purity of form. I will paint and paint.. and eventually, I will start to see certain colors,
forms, lines, or patterns that give me a sense of balance and harmony. When I see these, my speed picks up.
The image begins to focus reveal itself to me. Sometimes I start painting one thing, and end up with a totally
different subject. Who's to say this is in anyway wrong or unsuccessful. My goal after all isn't to capture a
specific image, but to capture truth. So as long as I do that, I feel free to let my art wander and drift to
wherever it wants to go. I try to maintain balance in my paintings, not only compositionally, but in the way it
elicits emotion from the viewer. They are often organic in form, and imply but seldom actually illustrate more
tangible forms and objects. For this reason, everyone sees something different in the works. There is no
right or wrong answer to what the viewer sees.
For a more in depth rambling of my philosophy, click below.
My work reflects an objective view of the world around us.
While everyone views the world subjectively, that doesn't make the world itself subjective to our whims or beleifs.
Therefore, I strive to seperate my own emotions, prejudices, knolwedge, and beleifs from the work, to allow
myself to mirror the world around me with a raw and cutting honesty. While the choice of how and what
I paint is often influenced by my own emotions, and view of the world,
it's important to me to shut that off while working within the painting, and allow
the painting to progress without my preconceptions.