I use art to process and explore the world around me – it is not only my journal but also my reaction to what I experience along the way.
Nature and travel are my main influences. Anything can inspire the beginning of a painting – a nighttime bicycle ride in my neighborhood or a walk on a beach in Greece.
Creating art allows me to retain and extend the energy of these moments -- preserving my emotions onto canvas, into color, line and texture. The resulting piece of art allows me to share those memories with others.
I enjoy challenging myself artistically. Traveling continually introduces me to unfamiliar surroundings and exposes me to new experiences. The same is true of picking up a new artistic medium. It is important to constantly learn about art, to study technique and improve my work. I push myself to explore various subjects and media and to always move forward.
When I was in high school, I loved to draw. I wanted to achieve the tonality of a Rembrandt painting in my sketchbook and spent a lot of time and energy to get it just right. It needed to be perfect to demonstrate control and understanding over the media.
Now I prefer a more spontaneous style. I want to capture emotions with color and express energy with line.
While I enjoy drawing, photography and watercolor, I have immersed myself lately in acrylic painting. My current series of abstracts, coated with resin, incorporate metal parts from bicycles and computers. The resin gives a new depth to the colors, and the mechanical parts give the paintings a sculptural quality.
The metal elements present precision: the repetitive shapes mirror each other with smooth machined purpose. That original utility changes when combined with loose and fluid brushstrokes.
I usually start with one idea and allow a piece to evolve as I work. My art tells me where it is going. The large scale of my paintings keeps me physically united with the artwork; I need to actually move around to achieve the marks on the canvas and connect with the piece.
Recording my transient sensory experiences into a more permanent form shares my experiences and memories with others. The paintings do not provide the representational recognition of a photograph or calculated drawing but instead invite participation on the part of the viewer and I enjoy hearing their response to my work.