Abstract
The categories of Abstract, Still Life, and Figurative are a way to organize my work, but there are consistent characteristics that run through all of it. I use oil, watercolor, pencil, and photos of my work when I’m sketching, to get a sense of what seems good to explore. I paint in cycles because when a theme or series feels complete in some way, another interest begins to attract my attention.
My abstract watercolor drawings were created in my home studio while I was recovering from an illness. These works were easy to set up on my drawing table and I could complete four or five of them in a few hours. The basis of the idea was “here goes nothing”. The impetus then became line and color as energy in a relationship.
When working, I am drawn to patterns and often use them in my work for example arches as entryways into the composition, lines to indicate a space within a space and grids as a way to allude to another kind of spatial perception.
As I continued developing this body of work it became clear that open space, concrete marks and gestures inspired me. The cleanliness of the line and strong watercolor strokes felt expressive and quiet at the same time, while the spontaneity and precision were so much fun.
