Shouldering the Weight Painting

The creative process for me is one that is both automatic and emotional. When I go into my studio I always go with a sense of wonder and ‘what if’. Creating my art is like being on a curving mountain road or exploring an unknown path; ups and downs, highs and lows, twists and turns. I try to approach each piece without fear of doing something wrong. I let the piece shape itself and bring me along for the ride. Like life, my pieces are constant movement, constant change. The creation process is cathartic, allowing my emotions to spill out onto my canvas as a release. Sometimes conflicts have to be overcome, but at other times, when I'm in the moment and not really thinking about where the painting is going, I just let it take me where it needs to go. That's when it's magical, when I don't have to think, I just have to do. I had one viewer of my work comment that "I used color, texture and shape without fear." Being an abstract expressionist, I don’t like to tell people what I was thinking when doing a painting because most of the time I don’t know myself. I just want to experiment and explore...discover the possibilities. I really would like for them to take away from the work what speaks to them. I don't want to put any preconceived ideas into the viewers head. That is why I like abstract pieces so much, the viewer can form their own conclusions and let their imagination run wild.