Artist Statement
"The only thing you can do wrong in art is not do it."
My goal is to capture a subject’s feeling and excitement. I accomplish this through the use of color/value contrasts, active brush strokes, and texture, creating mass and movement.
I began developing this technique as a college student after an Air Force physical revealed that I was colorblind. Understanding my unique perspective on color, I began to perceive colors as distinct entities rather than mixtures and memorized them. By placing paint on my palette in a specific order, I could mix a desired color on the palette and place it on the canvas.
This direct application of wet paint creates solid areas and dynamic relationships between colors. Focusing on the lightness and darkness of colors and arranging them strategically on the canvas, I can convey depth without relying on traditional layering techniques. Using colors as solid areas of mass extended into other mediums, as seen in my tissue paper collages and watercolors.
Inspired by artists such as Cezanne, Richard Diebenkorn, Van Gogh, Alice Neel, and Rodin, I continue to explore new ways to infuse movement and depth into my subjects while maintaining clarity and vibrancy in my color and compositions.