Octopus' Garden Painting

Everything originates in the abstract. The world of abstract is the world of ideas. One comes to find that all science and all art share two common elements: conceptualization and experimentation. Pierre Soulages, the highly regarded French contemporary artist states that when one encounters a painting face to face an immersive, deep feeling, can occur - an “emotional shock and all that it triggers, the mental dynamics take over…” I subscribe to Soulages view. Whether from the size or scale of the painting, the dominance or interplay of the forms or colors, the technique, or the execution and the feeling it evokes, I seek that psychological, emotional encounter with the viewer. I favor abstract work, as I like the freedom of expression it affords. One thing that I'm always reminded of when facing a blank canvas - the possibilities are infinite. That vastness means that everything is possible. But a painting doesn’t demand everything. It demands the artist be present and summon forth his energy, feelings, capabilities, imagination, experience, and vision to create that, which has hitherto been unknown. From deliberate intentions to chance occurrences my paintings embody both. My current abstracts are imbued with power, energy, fluidity, and spontaneity. I try to capture those forces onto the canvas through my personal objectives for each painting and of course through my styles and techniques. Because the size of a painting can have an enormous impact on the emotional and psychological state of the viewer, I built my studio to accommodate the creation of very large paintings. A significant amount of my oeuvre is comprised of large paintings. It would be impossible for example to create the feelings one gets from being face to face with Dark Angel on a canvas even 1/5th its size. 2000-2003 City of Spokane, Arts Commission Member. Constructed studio in 2013