In the practice of meditation one is instructed to imagine one’s mind as an ocean. Life experience provides the input that causes the stirring of the surface into waves – from gentle ripples to roiling storms. The true mind, one is told, is the water beneath the waves, deep enough where the surface agitation is registered, but only as a gentle swelling. To find one’s true spirit through meditative practice, one must dive beneath the surface to “see” the true self - the cumulative effects of life’s experiences. The interplay between surface and the “spirit portraits” that evolve beneath the surface form the totality of the human spirit.
My paintings are my visual equivalent of these “spirit portraits”.
I am inspired at times by the process of making the visual image – by the random movement of wet acid as it etches the tin, or by paint as it interacts with wax. Many of the physical forms in the paintings are drawn from images of biological processes. They include the static images revealed by x-rays and biological photographs and the dynamic images provided by video ultrasounds. They include visual records of natural forms such as seedpods and budding plants.
In these images I invite the viewer to experience the sense of entrance into a space, or I keep them out with opaque layers. I invite them to watch something seem to emerge or grow from the picture plane. I invite them to try to see real or imagined faces or words that may evoke a sense of nostalgia, confusion, or understanding. When we interact with the world, how do we project the complexity of ourselves – how much do we allow of ourselves to be “seen” - how much do we really see of others and our surroundings?
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