Strain Rate Painting

When I was eight years old I was diagnosed with severe Scoliosis and Spondylolisthesis. I was in pain and worried about the spinal fusion, the body casts, and the braces looming in my future. As a result, structure became a major focus in my life. I later turned to auto manuals and motorcycles to allay my anxieties, regain some control in my life and connect with my body. These manuals nurtured an appreciation for work by showing me how engines operate and how to maintain them. Years later, I learned to affect the torque in my motorcycle's engine while having to endure the limitations of my own rotational motion. I found joy and freedom in being able to work on something that I could use to move - fast! Today, I use images of engine components to explore all aspects of work, not just in the traditional sense, but what has, for me come to mean all the work required to create and sustain connections in my life. Starting with a spark, as do ideas and relationships, engines convert force into motion. The momentum, heat and force of these functions are what inform and inspire the line, movement, and palette of my paintings.