Falling in the Forest, 1990  

For me, making art turns up something unexpected every time. That’s what I find so exciting about the process – it’s a sort of inner archeology. One day I’ll discover new colour relationships. Another day I’ll look at form and space differently by layering materials in a new way. The act of painting or printmaking takes on a life of its own. I try to let traces of that dynamic process show in the finished work.

Making art is a major commitment in my life, the culmination of my experiences and concerns at any given moment. Each painting or print is something I have thought about, re-explored and lived through over time. The images and symbols are personal, often stemming from my life experiences or from the world’s experiences. I hope these compositions will evoke in the viewer memories of joys, sorrows or dreams. I hope they will become an occasion for reflection and insight.

Enjoying art is something we all do in some way. It’s as simple as being open to the huge diversity of creation around us. But naming a painting’s subject doesn’t unlock its secrets. It’s not just “a tree” – it’s paint, used in a way you find pleasing or unique or thought-provoking, and displaying a fresh way of doing what humans have done since we all lived in caves. 

Abstract art like mine can be puzzling. It may take time to get into, but in the end it may also let the viewer grapple with a bit of her/himself, come to a different way of looking at one’s surroundings, even uncover some buried truths. That’s the inner archeologist at work. 

           Inverted Tree, 1989, 36" x 30", acrylic/canvas