Patina Painting

In my abstract work, color is the starting point for me. I am successful when I stop thinking or forcing something to appear. In allowing the work to tell me what it wants, I am open to unpredictability. Patina is a many layered oil painting. Each layer of paint is rubbed on with natural turpentine and then scraped with a palette knife, until I find the play of color that excites me. My visceral and emotional response to all that surrounds me infuses my work in unpredictable ways. As a former writer, I often think of my paintings as poems in paint instead of words. Patina's poetry comes through the luster. It's as if age and oxidation are working their magic on the canvas.