"Painting allows me to follow a sense of authenticity, something that I never found with other mediums."
College let me play in as many different studios as I could find. I made a conscious decision to take advantage of every resource possible and learn every process I could. Printmaking had to be the most laborious. Sculpture was the most uncomfortable. Ceramics was probably the easiest for me to pick up. But painting-- I just knew one day I would just be able to figure it out. With each canvas I learn a little bit more. Each canvas teaches me something new. There is an exciting point of discovery and a sense freedom in my practice that keeps me hopping onto the next canvas.
Painting connects me to a sense of authenticity, something that I never found with other mediums. Process is always great, but nothing compares when your product matches your vision. When it is the vision that pulls you, you know you are on the right path.
Like no other medium, it is paint that lets me explore the quickness of expression. A painting matures into a compilation of moments. One moment on top of another moment visually documents the steps I take to execute my vision. Making the materials I choose inextricably linked to my end product.
House paint?
Yep. A little latex paint never hurt anybody! It gives me the speed that I love. You have to work quickly and commit to the direction of your paint almost instantaneously. The strings of latex connect the very beginning of a brushstroke. It produces a sense of energy like no other medium. You will find how the dripping effect creates a tension between the background and foreground. One of my favorite works Silent Oppression is a great example of this naturalistic perspective.
Glazes.
I love really intense color. I love to build complex, full, rich color-- really because I am so fascinated with dramatic contrasts. So building color becomes a natural consequence. Glazing allows me to build without covering layers beforehand. I embrace layers before and invite the viewer in to the process that happened before they got there. I think of each layer as a lesson, an idea, a demonstration of time piled on top of one another.
Acrylics.
Acrylics allow me to achieve both a richness of color and a quickness of expression. They let me do everything I love: large expression, bold color, and fine detail. There are acrylic statins that are amazingly intense in color that I can't seem to stop using. These soft body acrylics to them that lets me love the fluidity of a brushstroke, but also allows me to slow down for the details.
Spray Paint.
Love using spray paint. The way it interacts with the latex is so fantastic. This cloud of color finds new dimensions of texture that would have otherwise been lost. This medium helps me to achieve another note of contrast and elevates the deconstructed perspective. A great example highlighting this idea is the work titled Closer.