Untitled 0618 Painting

I have always worked with the idea of sequence. At the beginning of my career, I read somewhere that most artists create one work and spend their life recreating it over and over again with slight variations. I believe this is true; we spend our lives chipping away at an idea where a conclusion remains elusive because the human mind finds a way to build on previous versions of itself. I have spent the last 30 years chipping away at an idea where a painting's meaning does not involve words or known symbols from the real world but rather a place where shapes and patterns create their own visual language. Nothing new in the history of art but still an open field. My goal is to have a painting become a universal spiritual thing that goes beyond a specific interpretation or story. My use of reclaimed materials, tar, and encaustic wax adds nuance to each piece, and by varying color and form, I believe each painting takes on a life of its own. Once on display, this puts the interpretation of meaning into the hands of the viewer as all art is about communication.