100 Word Artist Statement

Sharing a 100 word artist statement I put together for a grant proposal. Summing up a practice and work in just 100 words is a real challenge. The gallery of images are the eight images I submitted with the proposal.

I paint to get lost, stop thinking and feel free. To me, paint is spiritual mud. An earthy, messy material that allows me to discover what I want to see as I work. The process begins with spontaneous and quick works on paper that organically evolve into expansive canvases where the image unfolds. My paintings contain novel asymmetries and an unexpected harmony of subjects, symbols and marks that are impossible to plan for. The layers of paint and evidence of struggle and indecision are essential to the work. These visual epiphanies resonate on a deeply emotional and spiritual level.