Rip Curl Painting

To imagine the puzzle and then solve it, is what painting in the abstract requires. It’s a maze, a jumble– where the rules, and most everything else, is unclear until bits & pieces come together to show the way. It requires being present, letting go of preconceived ideas & plans and allowing oneself to see, feel & respond to cues that lay themselves out before you. If your practice involves underpainting and multiple layers of paint as mine does, it can feel as though you’re working ‘backwards’; delaying, pushing back—constantly reevaluating what the materials reveal. At the heart of my work, is a life-long excitement for color. It’s light held captive, vibrations, an energy source with limitless possibilities. Its collaboration with surface and context make each new endeavor a riveting part of the puzzle. I’ve been told my work is joyful and I accept that as a high compliment. The joy in the process is why I show up everyday to work at these puzzles, and if that emotion comes across to the public, I’ve done my job.