Artist's Statement

Truth through fiction.
In fiction, we don't have to worry about hurting others' feelings;
We don't have to worry about portraying others' perspectives;
We can focus on our thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and reactions,
and describe what life really feels like to us.

I use my art and writing to try and make sense of my surroundings.

Whenever I am faced with an issue, I look at the extremes first, and then I try to figure out where my situation falls between them.  To examine family life, I juxtapose the orphan against one smothered by a large, interfering crowd.   To examine housing: the most densely populated future city against a desolate wasteland.  Full time work versus non-stop play, and the consequences of each.  Examination as can only be performed by the imagination, and through fiction.

In my surreal paintings, I try to juxtapose unusual elements or settings to explore questions or evoke moods.  In my more realistic paintings, I try to capture the moment.  The more I think about it, the more I believe that life is really just the many moments - and the more I can do to make them special and capture them, the better.

In my fiction, I can explore issues in more depth.  I try to distill truths out of all the confusing details that life tends to throw my way, and focus on what's real.  While life is the culmination of the moments, it also has a progression to it, which can be affected, accepted or fought.  Sometimes I think I'm doing all three, but not in the proportions that I think I'm doing them, so I explore my reactions and feelings through my art.

For more about me, see: Biography, Artist's Resume, About Me.

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