The concept is always first. My work is usually about questions I have. Why we do what we do, how much of what we do is choice and how much is the nature of man. I am also drawn to questions regarding the grey areas of morality. I am fascinated by patterns, specifically those found in nature and their similarities to the patterns man has created. Of course, as an artist, it is the desire to communicate these things that motivates the work. The tricky bit is to translate a thought into an object with visual beauty and originality.
I am drawn to found parts from industrial age mechanical devices. Sometimes I find these things myself but more often, people give them to me. At times, I find them so beautiful that I fear that to use them in art, would detract from their perfection. This is why I prefer simple unadorned objects. The pieces often sit in my studio for months or even years. At some point I will look at the object and it will become clear to me that it can be used perfectly to describe a situation I want to make a piece about.
Once I have the concept and the object I begin to design the piece. I do this in the form of a collage on paper. It is best for me to make all the changes while the piece is in the paper state as once I begin constructing with wood, changes take much more time and are costly. I like to pair visual opposites; heavy and light, dark and bright, visual complexity with simple shapes.
I build the pieces in my wood shop. I really enjoy this part. I love tools and working with wood. The problem solving aspect challenges and excites me. No matter how much I plan I am always surprised by some aspect of what I have built.
I use wood because because the texture is beautiful. It is also versatile. I usually take advantage of the grain in some part. The areas that will be painted need to be gessoed. If I am painting thin lines on stained wood I paint these lines in tinted gesso before staining. The gesso will resist the stain. Then I paint with oil or 1-Shot sign painting enamel for diagrams or lettering.
It is only when the piece is built, gessoed and stained that I can begin the oil painting. By this time I can’t wait to focus on the paint. Because I have planned my piece so meticulously I can focus completely on the colors and the direction and texture of the brush strokes. These things are very important to me. I create a consistent texture that contrasts with the smooth wood. I take note of all the colors that make up an object. Sometimes I mix every color I see and sometimes I have to narrow it down a bit. Though my paintings are made of many different colors and shades, I like each brush stroke to be one solid color. I think this emphasizes the physicality of the paint. Though I paint realistically I don’t want to lose the nature of the paint as an object because paint is so beautiful. My strokes are applied in a directional manor to add to the repetitive texture and give the object movement. Though many of my pieces involve a great deal of construction, I consider myself to primarily be a painter.
In the end it is the thrill of creation that makes it all worth while. I have made something that was only an idea, into a three dimensional object that exists in the physical world. It is my thought and my hands and it conveys more then I am capable of in words. It is a process that I think I can never tire of.