Artist StatemenT

I love color.  Getting the light right on a painting that has no horizon is a challenge that I thoroughly enjoy.  I also love shadows.  My paintings tell stories that are related to my life experience and my interest in history and fantasy. I make paintings to share the joy I get from the world we live in and the games that I play.  I am a gamer.  I love all sorts of games.  Sometimes I make paintings of the games that I’ve played.  Sometimes I make paintings of stories about characters in games.  But, I’m more than just a gamer.  I also love history and the amazing things that people do and have done.  So, I am a storyteller.  Most illustrative painters use illusion to create depth through foreshortening and horizon lines. I do not do this. My work relies on colors, shapes and shadows to explain the environment.

To be honest, I’m not sure where my work fits into the fabric of contemporary art. I use bright colors and irony, as in POP Art, but the images I paint and the stories I tell are not as familiar as those typically considered to be POP Art.  Some of the artists that have influenced me are Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, Edward Hopper and Jacob Lawrence.  So, I suppose I’m a traditionalist since many of my influencers are from previous centuries. It is safe to say that my work has been influenced by the Bayeux Tapestry much more than by Guernica.  My goal is to create a sense of height, width and depth with only shapes and colors in a world described by subtle humor and imagination.