Why I Paint

I paint to give me something to look at and ponder. It is the only place where I can set up a problem and solve it all by myself. The act of painting determines the direction I will take and I get to the imagery via a combination of addition and editing. I work for a rather long time to determine the visual logic of the piece and then the answers begin to arise.

The Unbuilders  24" by 24"

I don't come in with any ideas and I patiently wait for the painting to work with me to find the story. It is a mutual effort. It helps to have several pieces going on at once. If I get too hung up on a particular painting I will not progress so I must let go and I give my attention to the next one. This also prevents me form painting over an entire finished  work which has happened before. After devoting a lot of time to one painting I can literally get sick of the sight of it. I have to detach from it in order to see it with fresh eyes at a later date.

Refugees   14" by 16"

It is important to me that nothing look overworked; the colors need to remain fresh. Working in this spontaneous and intuitive way I am always able to surprise myself. There is always something new happening and though there is a visual language that ties all my work together I never feel like I am repeating myself or traipsing over old ground.

Plez Va Ivan Generalic   48" by 36"

Once the imagery has arrived I am still primarily concentrating on all the formal aspects of the painting. It is not until very late in the process and sometimes long after a painting has been completed that I can actually read the content. Often times it is what a viewer tells me about what they see in a piece that gives me a better understanding. Painting is my problem solving without words. Sort of like a visual math.