artist’s statement (such as it is)

the emotive power of color is of critical importance to me. it authors the central drama of each painting. dramatic contrasts. harmonious passages. subtle relationships. color triggers the emotions, stirs the memory and inspires the imagination.

the development of these critical color relationships and the physical application of paint also include a keen attention to and management of contrasts. a process in which hard edges shake hands with soft edges, thin paint meets thick paint, and logical, intentional structures collide with random painterly incident. the rational dances with the irrational.

as abstract as it may initially appear, my work is essentially derived from the tradition of landscape painting. the issues of space and atmosphere seem always to be with me as are the more formal issues about what constitutes an authentic painting – proportion, form, color, composition, and surface.

each painting is a negotiation and an intense personal journey of discovery. while I always start with an intention or notion of where I want to go, the material, the paint, inevitably asserts itself and subsequently informs the progress of the work. the decisions and impulses that guide this journey tend to be spontaneous, in the moment. with any luck, all of these elements and energies come together to create a new and unexpected beauty.

in the end, I believe great paintings are felt through the eyes much as we encounter nature. they stand on their own two feet without apology, excuse or explanation. they declare their independence and offer something new – a fresh visual experience. once language and literal association fall away, one is left with a visual impression that is intended to evoke very personal associations and powerful feelings. this is what I’m about.

this is a video piece my brother-in-law, phillip leConte in austin, texas, shot and put together for me over the thanksgiving holiday in 2017. i don't know how he did it, but he managed to pull out an essential narrative that captures pretty much what i'm all about.

why i became an artist, again