Bear Skull Painting

The first time I painted with oils I knew this is what I was meant to do the rest of my life. Everything about oil paint resonates with me. As a person who relishes corporeal experiences,the olfactory delight of linseed oil and the visual richness of glistening pigments intoxicates me. As an artist who approaches the easel with only a silhouette of an idea, the range of oil paint-- from translucent glazes to opaque, juicy passages--inspires the spontaneity and experimentation that is so essential to my creative process. When paint stays wet for several days, anything becomes possible. Brushstrokes can be manipulated, scraped off, or remixed into new colors. In this flexible state, art becomes more present, more capable of capturing the subtle changes of mood and emotion. Oil painting makes me fearless in this knowing. Oil painting brings me closer to myself.