STATEMENT

I search for a way to visualize rapture.

My interests are in the sensual, seductive qualities in life and I attempt to convey them through my art. I seek the sublime - those moments when images, sounds or emotions transport me - and I strive to create similar sensations in my art.

I love the tactile feel of drawing on paper. It has a rich, skin-like quality that yields to my marks in a way that canvas or a harder surface cannot.

Typically, I begin by working directly with a model, looking to find a connection between the figure, the drawing, and my own esthetic. Successive layers of graphite, crayon, oil pastel, pigment stick, and/or enamel combine to build each work of art. The back-and-forth "dialog" between the image and me often feels like a performance.

Finally, I mount the drawing to a panel and apply several layers of wax to seal and protect the surface. In this way, I try minimize the feeling of separation between the art and the viewer that often occurs when the drawings are behind glass. I want the viewer to be a part of the total experience.