ARTIST STATEMENT

In my paintings I create images of ordinary people in everyday situations, but with a playful, offbeat point of view. Humans are infinitely complex, so I give my subjects considerable freedom in their appearance; their features depend on the circumstances around them. The folks who populate my paintings are usually faceless. They are likely to have assorted shapes and lines that stand in for facial features. Sometimes the shapes are contained inside the head, but often they extend outward like a materialized aura, reflecting unseen attributes such as thoughts, feelings, and personal history. While it may be helpful to know that the shapes mean something, what they mean is not all that important.

I use intuition and spontaneity a lot when I am developing ideas, but not so much in the final execution of a painting. I like to play with the image and its title until I have what feels like the right balance of seriousness, silliness and mystery.

My imagery is flat, cartoony and controlled. I think this style suits my preference for droll humor, and my art is driven by humor. I believe that humor is an essential part of reality, not merely a distraction from it. I also like my paintings to be a little ambiguous and thought-provoking. Even when the meaning of a picture is unclear, I hope its humor will rise to the top. When a person smiles at my painting without knowing why, I feel I have succeeded.