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"Time and distance are our friends" has been my personal motto for the past few years. It is not my wish to keep people at arm's length or to erect barriers. Instead I repeat the phrase as I prepare to rein in the pace and take the time necessary to develop my ideas. I've never loved a deadline; I'm happiest working at my own pace on a project of my own creation. Much of my subject matter originates in a visual stream of consciousness, an emerging idea generated from musing on photographic images I have taken over the years as well as on a collection of vintage photographs. Ideas may haunt me for days and as I attend to my daily life I will often come up with visual solutions. I may use my camera to capture the visual components I need, set up a still life or arrange for a model. Sometimes ideas for paintings come from images that materialize in my mind as I lie in bed in my early waking moments. Perhaps they are remnants of a dream or products of the creative imagination at work without the distractions of the day. I take great stock in the power of the subconscious and look forward to that sudden inspiration as I seize upon an image for painting.
The label "Fantastic Realism" has been used to describe my style of work. I have spent years developing the drawing and painting skills necessary to comfortably depict improbable scenes and surreal images in a convincing manner. Each work represents many hours of time "embroidering" details in my studio and workshop while I listen to music and let my thoughts wander in a sort of inventive meditation. My art is not purely decorative but compells the viewer to study and contemplate its meaning. The viewer may immediately connect with the thought pattern that brought forth an individual picture or he may live with a piece for a while before the concept becomes accessible. Sometimes he may reach into his own body of experiences to outline a set of connections that articulate an alternate and equally viable rationale. Each drawing, painting, or assemblage becomes a different work of art for each viewer and I believe it is most successful and interesting when it may be read on different levels. I am committed to superior craftsmanship and the use of quality materials and methods in every one of these unique pieces.
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