Cultures, ancient traditions and the human experience have long been a devotion of mine. How metaphor can be interwoven in storytelling is part of that. I would say creating art for me is an exploration of what’s behind the obvious and how it can translate into a painting.
I tell stories that come from my direct experiences, most originate from three decades’ involvement with Indigenous communities. Some though come from dreams, visions and mystical occurrences for which I have no concrete evidence. Multitudes of inspirational matter lobbies to be documented. How do I choose what to paint? Whichever one has managed to step forward from the others.
The time I spend in front of the easel has become part of spiritual practice, the same as meditation. I regularly attend to the ritual and somehow something happens. When I engage that way, it feels to me that I’m being directed and shown what to do. The same is true for me when I’m writing, at least when I’ve written fiction. A movie rolls out in my visual field and I merely need write it down. I’ve read this is a common experience for writers but also artists. We’re left wondering who is producing the work.
I may use landscapes as a backdrop. But it’s not about the landscape. Instead, what does it represent? I may use figures but they’re only relevant in their deeper message. I use oil and cold wax building up in layers, applying texture and color in a way to express mood...and love the process.
People have told me my work is emotional and deeply personal. Elements of my work have been likened to Odilon Redón, Nicholas Roehrich, Mark Rothko and Georgia O’Keefe, all of which astounds me. It’s common for viewers to see things in paintings that I didn’t consciously intend. But once I’m complete with the work — after I’m no longer attached, which sometimes takes a while — I release them and they take on their own life. They’re no longer mine. I suppose I’m inviting the viewer on a journey...perhaps creating a vehicle to witness how the sacred is intertwined in everyday existence.
