"RECENT PAINTINGS"

Half Moon Creek Gallery, December 2005
Artist Statement

"The goal of ancient art was to connect man with the gods."

---Eriko Kawabe, modern Japanese calligrapher

My interest in serendipitous connections between people, places, and things, in how even the smallest choices alter the course of a life, or the making of a painting, is a fundamental element of expression in all of my work. My intent is to evoke a sensibility that encourages thoughtfulness in the viewer regarding the possibility of a deeper, elemental side to our existence.

After visiting Japan as a chaperone for a group of exchange students, I returned to Alaska fully engaged by Asian cultural aesthetics, which influences everything in Japanese society from food preparation and presentation, to social customs founded on humility and honor for others over self. A year later, the juxtapositions between our culture and theirs continue to permeate my thoughts and the way I look at everyday life. These influences are reflected in my recent work with a movement toward simplification of shape and design.

My usual approach to beginning a new painting is to apply paint intuitively and playfully. Most of the paintings in this show were created in this manner; their subject matter and final look defined during the creative process. However, I have also been experimenting with an approach that begins with a postcard size design that is a combination of collaged images and paint. I’m finding that this small amount of pre-planning actually allows me even greater freedom when I begin the larger scale version, which rarely ends up looking exactly like the preliminary collage.