Artist Statement 1

The matter of these paintings comes from memories I hold of Africa. It is a place of magic and tragedy, a place where people dance. Images of big skies, vast lands, people and their existence with animals, patterns, rain and color are expressed through landscapes that are the vehicle for the manifestation of my visions. The unmediated experience of living in the rural areas allowed for contemplation of the world, from the toiling of ants, wildebeest grazing on the plains, the deluge of rain, the dominance of thunder and lightening, and the devastation of AIDS.

A sense of meditation and quiet will abound. The presence of nature and its beauty must be felt. The calm before the storm, which mimics the initial viewing of my paintings to the detail within, creates the tension and stirs the viewer. The process and ritual involved in these creations give the work strength. The patience of waiting for the subtle layers of gouache or ink to dry to the deconstruction of such layers embrace the life going on inside the dark continent, which is full of rich textures and cultures.

These unique images reference memory, people and place. Although my motivation comes from a personal sense of place these works evoke memories for others. Two recent buyers commented: “this reminds me of fishing at 5am in the morning”, “this reminds me of an Indian reservation I grew up on”. An integral part of the work is that the viewer interacts with the landscape and becomes part of that environment, which can be a new place for them or it could reference memory. I offer these paintings as a place to contemplate, a point of solitude, a time to be aware of our existence and most of all as a means to focus. (Written 2006)