My work is primarily about the memory of particular places of significance to me. The
paintings begin with this memory and then change as they become a work of their own that
could be described in many ways as autobiographical.
One scene that is significant whether in terms of composition, color, texture, or all of the
above, is used as a springboard for the painting. Because it is most likely a place that I’ve
travelled to or spend a considerable amount of time, it is very meaningful to me and the
desire to accurately represent the memory is great. In this sense, I am deliberately trying
to represent the memory more than the place itself.
In addition, certain images become symbolic from painting to painting—for instance the
image of water falling or moving as a representation of change, Whale Rock (an actual rock
on the North Fork of Long Island) as a representation of me, the presence of vineyards,
forests, rocks and fields as other elements that may have existed in the real place but also
become part of the emotional landscape that I am describing.
After the basic composition is established, I begin to add the textures and the sense of
movement that are pleasing to me. The transparency and balance of color and the
movement of the canvas as a whole are my primary preoccupations.
Statement