I am influenced both by an intense immersion in nature and a close involvement in the process of people's lives. Patterns fascinate me, in growing things and in our lives, the way we address similar issues over and over, but differently as events unfold; The way I see it in the continual cycle of living things, and in the way for us humans it is a reason to live and yet is such a challenge. I infuse these fascinations into my abstract oil paintings as I build/subtract layer upon layer, and pattern over pattern.
I have always been drawn to printmaking; the intriguing shift that happens when pigment is transferred from one object to another. From an early obsession with classic etching and lithography, I developed an interest in the freedom and serendipity of monotype. Over the years as a monotype artist and teacher I found myself wanting to create artwork which did not have to be shown under glass and allowed development of intense surface texture. I began creating images using oil paint on prepared paper using monotype techniques without the press. The work I have come up with is a continuing adventure as I stretch the techniques that have interested me for years. Today I divide my time between my painting studio and teaching.
To create the oil paintings, I start by gessoeing heavy rag paper on both sides. Then I dry it in blotters, creating a very flat surface which will take a lot of abuse. Beginning with an under painting of a fairly brilliant color, I build textures and colors slowly, using both subtractive and additive processes. I apply paint with stencils (lace, Japanese papers, found objects), stamps (hand-cut linoleum blocks and commercially made patterns) and create textures by applying paint both with a brush and with brayers. Of course, being oil paint, each layer must dry several days before I can work on the piece again so I tend to have many pieces going on in the studio at one time. As in traditional monoprint, what is revealed in the subtractive process often becomes the most exciting and unique aspect of the piece. Depending on the piece I might choose to frame it under glass or attach it to a wood panel and show it unframed. Larger paintings I work directly on the wood panel, building it up in the same layers and varnishing the finished painting.
When the paintings are done I take time to consider what they have revealed to me. This is how the titles come about, and I feel they are very important. Sometimes it could be a partially seen landscape at a particular time of day (but of course the next time you look at it, it is something else). Sometimes it is more of a remembered emotion or an odd juxtaposition of reactions-whatever the human moment I hope the viewer will have a chance to feel as though they are part of what happens in the interpretation of the piece-it will become part of their memory as well as mine...