
My Man in the Rorschach Shirt pastel 25″ x 18″
My Man in the Rorschach Shirt pastel 25″ x 18″
It’s a common pitfall in drawing and painting to become too involved in one area at the expense of the whole. To avoid this loss of visual unity I always imagine a painting into existence. This means that before I ever approach my easel or commit a mark to a drawing pad I invite my mind to (first) wander in search of a subject of interest and (second) transform and compose, rendering that subject into a form that is most compelling to me. The process can happen in a flash, or take hours, days, sometimes months and longer.
Once the idea is in mind the first marks I make are sweeping and fluid, establishing a rhythm and visual dynamism. Upon this framework I build more complex and interesting shapes (see the first two images below).
Like a sculptor working on a rough-hewn block of stone, little by little I chip away, defining and refining shapes, subject and surface.
My intent as a painter is never to replicate my subject. I have no interest in being a slave to my subject. My preoccupation and passion is truly for what happens when the worlds of subject, object and medium collide on the painting or drawing surface. That combustion is fuel, clean and green, for my imagination and my soul.