The Encaustic Paintings

I am drawn to the realm between realism and abstraction. I attempt to salvage ancient primitive imagery from the cultural terrain of the present by using found objects, -natural or manufactured-, as a means of producing transcendent images.

My method of working is akin to excavation, working repeatedly over the surface of previous paint layers until a satisfying image emerges. It is through this exploratory manner of working that my images become authentic. I am inspired by Lascaux cave painting, Japanese woodblock prints and petroglyphs.

The Etchings and Monotypes

The Nevada Jewels etchings were conceived while hiking through the Sierra foothills with my dog, Cisco. I picked up the old, the rusty, the mangled and burned campsite refuse. For the most part, I was captivated by their textures and discoloration, but primarily how they had been transformed from the common to the ethereal. I began to amass quite a collection in my studio.

My souvenirs changed form when I printed them as a relief etching -sometimes beyond recognition-. They are transformed into floating morphed symbols. I am fascinated by the possibility of transmogrifying found objects - rescuing them from oblivion and giving them new life.