SUPERNATURAL

Painting and Work On Paper

As a child our small, family market caught fire. It didn’t burn to the ground but remained as an abandoned shell on the lot adjacent to our home. I explored the darkened interior and marveled at the transformation caused by heat and flame. A carousel of spray paint stood near the front doors and I would search for unexploded cans in semi-darkness to color the blackened walls. Recent life transitions have caused me to return to fire as an anchoring element. Regularly I build a fire in my backyard and spend time gazing into the flames. I see this act as an artistic practice, one that focuses my thoughts on the energy released through the transformation from blackened, charred wood to white ash. My paintings begin with a black panel. I draw botanical forms, evoking the silvery lines of white ash on a burning piece of wood. Repetitive lines of color emanate from the subject suggesting a radiance or internal glow and I am reminded of the potential energy that exists in all living things.