O come, O come Emmanuel

I paint abstract paintings, inviting people to breathe deeply and respond to a gentle call toward hope. My paintings are full of color and are carefully constructed to encourage a pause for wonder and curiosity. They are the result of a search for hope when life seems bleak. A hunt for joy when darkness is overwhelming. A desire for beauty when everything seems ugly.

As an artist, I am inspired by, and respond to beauty, culture, and my Creator. This is where I find a steady place of hope from which I can extend an invitation through my paintings.

On my substrates, my starting point focuses on composition, color theory, and principles of art. I choose the tools and concepts which I think will communicate my ideas in the most interesting and beautiful way, and start there. At that point of the work, the painting itself almost always takes over, and part of my joy in being an artist comes from responding to what I see there. I love getting lost in the process of painting, watching, and painting again. I love the surprises that come as I work.

As an experimental painter, I paint with acrylic paint and mediums, natural additives such as mica and sand, and sometimes gold leaf or other substances. Brushes, kitchen tools, plastic cards, and many other things are part of my tool kit.