In my abstract work, I generally like to explore textures of various kinds, fabrics, burlap, pumice, ashes, paper, and a variety of media- acrylic, ink, charcoal, prisma-colors, oils, oil pastel, acrylic media. Fabric, especially, often exudes sensual qualities that I find attractive. The challenge of abstract work is producing coherence out of chaos. My work often borrows elements of nature and landscape to provide a sense of familiarity even as the explicit painting is non-objective. The process of creating a painting, whether abstract or figurative, is always developmental. I seldom begin a piece with a definite idea of what the end will look like. Usually I start with a feeling, an idea, an image, maybe an attraction to a particular color. Sometimes pieces take weeks to develop and reach a conclusion; sometimes just hours.

To see a larger version of the images below, click on them.

Recently I have been experimenting with the idea of bringing the figurative and the abstract together in one piece. To that end, I have made prints from some of my charcoal drawings (see Maine Coast #2, #3, and #4), and then I have used those as a base for adding abstraction on top. The abstractions develop by employing fabrics, acrylic paint and other polymer media. In the images below these are listed as Variations of the Maine Coast charcoals.

mixed media on canvas,
48 x 22"
2008

mixed media on canvas,
36 x 48"
2008

mixed media on illustration board,
24 x 28"
2008

mixed media on board,
30 x 39.25"
2008

mixed media on board,
32 x 36.5"
2008