FAQ
Questions I've asked myself. Questions others have asked me.
Why Do I Make Art?
I feel that making art is one of the most natural and intuitive things that we do as humans. I was born to parents that encouraged me to express myself through arts, crafts and music. To this day I feel that making art is the most natural thing I do. I cannot imagine not making art.
Why Do I Paint?
It is the most creative way for me to express my feelings and emotions about my life. By doing so it helps me understand myself better. Painting is also a spiritual activity for me in that it opens the pathways to get closer to my truth.
What Is My Purpose?
I’m not sure what my purpose is in this life, but it may have something to do with sharing my feelings in my paintings in a way that others either relate to or are able to open up a path to explore their own feelings about their life.
When did you begin painting, and why?
I began painting in 2002. In 2001 my job fizzled out during the dot com bust. I needed to figure out what I was going to do next. I took an online painting course and the rest is history as they say. Painting as it turns out has become the most creative way for me to express my feelings and emotions about my life. By doing so it helps me understand myself better. Painting is also a spiritual activity for me in that it opens the pathways to get closer to my truth.
Has painting always been your chosen medium of expression?
Prior to painting I expressed myself with music, photography and graphic design.
Your work appears to be portraiture, but you've stated that the people in your paintings "aren't anyone in particular," and that you reference mass media sources for the faces you portray. Can you say more about this?
I think I became attracted to portraits at a young age. My Uncle and my Grandfather were both avid photographers. Every year at the family reunion we would sit in a room together and watch 100's of slides showing all the ancestors from not only the previous reunion, but many reunions prior to that. For a child it was torture but I would give anything to see those slides again now. When I was in college I majored in Photography probably due to this early influence. In addition to working as a commercial photographer, and in a darkroom, I was a portrait photographer. I tend to study the people in the photographs and think about what their life was like. There are the simple interpretations of happiness/sadness, but on a deeper level, how do they feel about their life. Do they have friends? Do they work 12 hour days? Are they happily married? Even in the most glamorous photos in magazines I feel like their is more than what meets the eye. So whether the photos are ancestors or strangers it's a 'jumping off point' for going into the make believe world of what I might imagine their lives to be. Sometimes the results are familiar, and other times it's totally make believe.
What led you to this practice?
I think the photography influence from childhood through majoring in photography explains what led me to the subject matter I paint now.
There's something about your subjects that suggests they are from an earlier era. Is there a nostalgic element involved for you in your painting?
Someone once said I'm a storyteller. I think using old photographs is not nostalgia as much as the fact that it lends itself to a narrative about history, and a life lived. My paintings more than likely do not reflect an accurate portrayal of the subject in the painting as much as they reflect a closer representation of my feelings about my own life.
What effect do you hope your work will have on the viewer, either emotional or intellectual?
When I make a painting I don't set out to have any effect on the viewer. It is personal to me and it's a big enough job that I can't even have any hope of another person being involved either emotionally or intellectually. If a viewer does make a connection to one of my paintings it's because they connect emotionally. The subject matter is something they have felt or are feeling. It is often a reminder of someone else. It may even look like someone they know. This is quite common, and very wonderful when it happens.
If someone were to visit your studio, what would they find?
A visitor to my studio will find an easel filled with layers of paint that took years to accumulate, next to a table of collages and sketches. They will find a cork board with inspirational messages. They will find A-frames filled with small works and the walls lined with larger paintings.
What is your working environment like?
My studio is cozy. It is the first studio that has heating and air conditioning so I'm working in luxury for the first time. My kitchen is only steps away which is a huge bonus. I have a cat that checks on me periodically, demands very little and let's me know it's time for a little loving.
What projects are you in the midst of at the moment?
In addition to the figurative works, I am currently working on a series of 6"x6" paintings of shoes and dogs.
When is a painting finished?
Complete answer on my BLOG |
