Threads

In the studio, a random assortment of paintings whose creation covers nearly two decades.

The lowest one, "The Beckoning Flames" is mixed media on carved wood. Part of a group of paintings created in the years after 9/11, it was for me an exploration of the violence and heartbreak of that time, and an attempt to pull something - anything - beautiful out of that pain to stand in opposition to it.

The middle piece, "For Winter Winds", is mixed media with shattered glass on carved wood. Created perhaps five or six years ago, it speaks more directly to the materials and how they interact to create something more grand than the simple reclaimed items saved from landfill. I often use the lowliest of materials, and elevate them in my work to reveal the beauty lurking in what we often disregard.

The top piece, "Nor Forget the Light" is from a recent series of very experimental pieces broadening my exploration of materials. Again, I am elevating the ordinary; re-presenting a simple leaf (in this case gilded) to make permanent and precious what would be blown away by the winds of autumn.

The joy for me in hanging these three together is in seeing the visual and thematic threads that carry through the years....