Artist’s Statement

Formal composition is an underlying element in all of my work. My background as a professional draftsman and designer, working with form, function, and dimensionality, has given me the opportunity to develop a deep understanding of compositional relationships, that is both intuitive and intellectual.
My work alternates between a painterly improvisational style and a more precisely executed, linear style. The results are thoughtful, but not intellectual. My pallet ranges from delicate pastels through luscious hues, sometimes continuing into acidic shades.

Embodied in the work is a rejection of the concept that the primary impulse behind the creation of art is the constant search for something new. My own thoughtful and deliberate immersion in art history has convinced me that all visual art after prehistoric, aboriginal work is founded on preceding work, rendering the single minded search for something new an unsatisfying journey.

What became clear, was that just because an idea or style is new to me, doesn't mean it is new to the world. Nor is “newness” or originality a meaningful goal in itself. On the contrary, obsession with originality forces the artist to become more concerned with the impetus of the work, than with the articulation of a personal vision or perception.
I am reacting to whatever sparks my interest. As a result, I have developed several distinctive bodies of work, diverse in both style and subject matter. My focus is to produce a life's' work that is respectful of the past, reflects my present view and will remain relevant in the future.

In my work, I have left behind the cynical intellectualism of the modernist movement and returned to a more romantic approach. This is not the idealized romanticism of the 19th century. It's a definition of romantic style that comes from a passionate connection to all things that make up the reality of living.

For me, the purpose of painting is to take my personal experience of existence and push it on to the canvas. In the modern era, painting was reduced to a representation of an purely intellectual exercise. The artist's presence was transparent. It is my hope, that when people experience my work they will know, in every way, that I have actually been there.

Artist’s Biography

I was born in northern England. My working-class parents immigrated first to Canada, then southern California.
I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area at the age of 28 to pursue my dream of becoming a professional painter.