The creation of ‘truly original’ works is difficult because of the time old saying “everything has been done before.” I was always taught to research and explore in books, magazines, and other publications to further my knowledge of art. I strive to create shapes and forms that have not been seen before. I aspire to invent something that could influence the future.
When I work with clay I like to create forms that remind me of where my material originated from. The ground from which we stand upon. The soil that supports all things living. When sculpting the material I feel a sense of purpose because I am making something out of natural materials from our earth. I am using fire in a metamorphosis process to vitrify these elements into a new entity. A sculpture that could stand the test of time.
When I am painting I allow the material to do things that are natural and stress-free. I enjoy the obscurity of turpentine drips in subtle areas. I enjoy the way in which different layers of paint interact with each other. The ways in which brush strokes speak freely about how the artist hand prefers to move. Though I have used paints to create realistic compositions, I prefer the abstract. The raw, undoubtedly carefree nature of abstract expressionism.
Hand crafted glass is a vehicle in which I use to convey emotions and expression. It is an alluring material to work with in its various states. The radiance of the furnace and its roar of the power from within draw me near as the heat keeps me at an appropriate distance. I try not to distance myself from the material as I work with it. Glass is seductive in the way in which it shapes and bends light. Its optics are intriguing as my eye travels around the surface and through its many spectrums of captured and reflected light. I enjoy the subtle ways a finished sculpture perches upon a pediment.