About
For the past three decades, my focus has revolved around the incorporation of free-floating text as a visual element. Some years ago I was listening to NPR. It was a program about illiteracy. The speaker was pointing out when a litterate person sees text, it is instantaneously translated and a meaning is attached to it but for an illiterate individual it is only shapes. I started thinking about how I could use letters in my artwork so they represented only shapes. Most of my pieces have started with text even when you can not see it any longer. I usually attempt to make it illegible so that the viewer interacts with the shape of the text and not necessarily the meaning.
Born in Canton, Ohio, I have always been captivated by the power of nonverbal expression, finding it far more compelling than speaking. After spending my formative years in Ohio, Arizona, and Idaho, I ultimately settled in the Pacific Northwest, where I pursued my artistic aspirations at Cornish College of the Arts, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. I resided in Seattle for 17 years before a brief interlude in Florida led me to my current home and studio in Stockholm, Sweden.
Bittersweet
Inspiration
While I occasionally engage with concrete and objective subject matter, these elements are often layered within abstraction. Their creations stem from a blend of emotional and visual perceptions, intentionally crafted to remain open to interpretation, allowing viewers to engage with the work in a deeply personal and subjective manner. Nature and its organic forms remain a perennial source of inspiration, with color playing a pivotal role in shaping my artistic expression. Reflecting the ebb and flow of life itself, my work is characterized by constant evolution and growth, an ever-changing dialogue between me and the world around me.
attended Cornish College of the Arts and received a Bachelors of Fine Arts in 1998
Solo show -November 13, 14, 15 2026 - Vantörs Konstförening- Högdalen Sweden
My painting technique would be mostly wet on wet but I do use dry brush and let the painting dry a bit if the colors become dull.
I like to have music on when I paint. I start with a general underpainting which I let dry and then apply the final layers which tend to be thicker paint with texture. I start with the items I want to be farthest back in the composition. Using text mostly in the background of the work. I am now starting to use text in the other components of the composition as well. I tend to apply wet on wet mostly but when I feel it is getting to muddy I let the work dry a bit and then continue.
Works for sale (10)
Similar Artists
