I work through these paintings to make sense of the roar of our world and the silence of nature. The landscape genre is for me a conveyance to express the many layers of reality and our deep interconnections. Sometimes the landscape is simply a homage to the extraordinary beauties of nature. Sometimes it is a documentation of nature’s struggle to survive the onslaught of civilization. Sometimes it refers to the relentless circle of seasons that witness our emotional lives, our private triumphs and losses. While the human figure is mostly absent in the spaces, the human impact is always present.
The layers of reality also manifest in my painting approach and interest in process as part of the creative work. I experiment with various paints, grounds, varnishes and techniques to create painterly and layered surfaces. This creates tension between representational space and abstraction- the surface contradicting more traditional landscape depth. The creative process of color mixing, experimenting with materials and the compositional struggles can at times access for me a sense of our absolute interdependence and collective connections to the natural world.
Within this troubled time on Earth, I work with creativity and activism to help connect the voices that speak for wild nature. This joining of our ancient awareness is the deepest hope for the continuation of a wild Earth.
