“Give every man thy ear and few thy voice.” I’ve always liked that bit of advice from Hamlet—even if it was offered by Polonius, a character of dubious judgement. Whether wise or not, since I read the play in high school, I’ve centered my life around listening—and looking—and assumed that there is always more to learn.
This is why, as a painter, I prioritize perception and how I interpret it on canvas. Though I was trained in graduate school to give “thy voice” through my art, I base my work not on content, meaning or message but rather on what I learn though perception.
Perception blends thought and feeling, and it constantly changes in response to environmental, social and psychological stimuli. It’s often wrong, or at least it differs from person to person and moment to moment. Which is why it is wonderful. The fallibility and constant evolution of perception reflects lived experiences and is a source of life-long learning. As the basis of a painting practice, it rewards exploration of subject matter as well as the possibilities of visual interpretation.
Experience is the medium of perception, which is why I paint people, places and things in my life. Working mostly in oil and watercolor, I paint from life to incorporate all the senses into my interpretations. I also work from digital images—how much of the world is experienced today—to explore perception through mediation and memory.
The goals for all my paintings are that they are always coming into being—just like perception—and that they foreground the abstractions underpinning representation.
This is why, as a painter, I prioritize perception and how I interpret it on canvas. Though I was trained in graduate school to give “thy voice” through my art, I base my work not on content, meaning or message but rather on what I learn though perception.
Perception blends thought and feeling, and it constantly changes in response to environmental, social and psychological stimuli. It’s often wrong, or at least it differs from person to person and moment to moment. Which is why it is wonderful. The fallibility and constant evolution of perception reflects lived experiences and is a source of life-long learning. As the basis of a painting practice, it rewards exploration of subject matter as well as the possibilities of visual interpretation.
Experience is the medium of perception, which is why I paint people, places and things in my life. Working mostly in oil and watercolor, I paint from life to incorporate all the senses into my interpretations. I also work from digital images—how much of the world is experienced today—to explore perception through mediation and memory.
The goals for all my paintings are that they are always coming into being—just like perception—and that they foreground the abstractions underpinning representation.