Artist Statement
My art is about communication. I started painting full-time over 20 years ago and found that although my abstract work was sought after and sold well, it was often misinterpreted which led to personal frustration and a motivation to renew my approach. I have spent the last 12 years testing different techniques to transmit a very clear message with basic shapes. Inspiration from the Hard Edge movement and insights from the Process and Post Painterly Abstraction movements have helped mold the unique style and concept of my current work. Each painting’s abstract composition is legible. The viewer is capable of reading the paintings once it is understood how to interpret the shapes. I utilize shape-based writing systems such as Braille, Morse code and cuneiform to create my composition. For the paintings to be legible, I adhere to adapted rules and guidelines to retain the ability for anyone to decipher the (message, meaning, words). I want the novice viewer to accept the painting as an abstract work and then experience the paradigm shift once the viewer is aware that the abstract shapes have an exact meaning. Certain compositions are easy to interpret while others are complicated and overwhelming; this is on purpose. Colors have specific meaning and are never chosen at random. Colors have a direct relationship with the subject matter of the message. Each message is developed over time and typically relates to a specific person, event or experience tied to emotions evoking a specific color palette.