In my work, I’ve found the human form to be the best vehicle for personal exploration of the physical self as it relates to my own perceptions. I explore this notion by attempting to immerse myself in process. I’m drawn to humor, experimentation, the nature of human sexuality, and the physical, mental and spiritual self, all of which play heavily into my work. By working the same composition through the unique media of drawing and painting, I’m able to better understand the figure and investigate new techniques in each.

 

In drawing, I have been using ink pens to better train my hand to follow my eye. By employing the techniques of contour line and planar analysis I challenge myself to construct form in a believable way without losing a sense of playfulness and discovery. Specifically, I have been experimenting with reactionary expansion of compositions by adding pieces of paper to the drawing as I make it. This approach to a boundless picture plane allows me to remove myself from the driver’s seat: the act of drawing commands the composition. Drawing typically serves as the backbone for the rest of my work. The ability to rapidly draw through ideas allows me to be more selective about what I commit to the lengthier process of painting.

 

Frequently, I find myself inspired by those who approach the human figure and painting in a unique and exploratory fashion. Francis Bacon’s open and expressive brushwork, Lucian Freud and Frank Auerbach’s painstaking approaches to the painted surface, Jenny Saville’s fearless delving into the self and Henri Matisse’s use of color all echo through my work.In all, I view my work as a filter through which I can entertain the immaterial parts of humanity that exist between bodies. The processes I practice compel a careful examination of the physical self while allowing me to manipulate the form, space and picture plane to better represent my innate desire to read between the lines. Each piece functions as its own meditation on the circumstances in which it was created.