| Inspired by the ethereal nature of the vast desert spaces of the American West,
my abstract oil paintings are minimalist meditations upon the landscape, the light, and the elements.
Using the language of the grid, these images are not representations of a specific place or environment,
but a synthesis of shifting visual impressions, contemplative observations, and a meditative process.
These process-driven abstractions reference patterns of order and randomness in nature and the
landscape. My process involves a two-part effort. First, I apply many layers of oil paint to the
canvas, beginning with very thin layers and gradually building up the color and texture. The underlying
layers of paint are then both concealed and revealed as I methodically build up small rectangles of
white paint onto the prepared surface. Artifacts of this process are either retained or released in
service to the harmony of the whole. My involvement with each canvas becomes a personal, ritualized
experience, which is heightened by the repetitive, almost devotional application of the grid itself.
Although a grid is often a rather mechanical arrangement, its classical order and repetitive structure
expresses a purity of line and clarity of form that I love. The grid, for me, is a metaphor for the
feeling/presence of the infinite that the desert evokes. The white palette symbolizes a mystical orientation
towards nature, as well as the unique quality of light that pervades the luminous desert landscape.
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