An artist's statement:
When the noise of the forest fades away, what are you left with? - singular trees, and for me, that singular focus of walking a path through those trees. The metaphorical symbolism of a tree’s strength, its roots holding on to the earth, its honesty and its ability to reach for the sky, is not lost on me, and it centers me when I need the quiet and the escape from the everyday. Similarly, when I enter my studio, all the noise of the day - the news, the social expectations, tensions, and pressures fade away and I am left with the simplicity of my singular focus. To paint a tree, a simple backdrop, a quiet reflection of a place, that is my escape, and it is perfection.
You will find a definitive abstraction to this work; this suits my aesthetic. Painting in abstraction allows me to be freer with my creativity, to avoid the constraints of having to fully, or realistically, capture a landscape or idea. To me, the abstraction must allow the viewer to render his/her own interpretation, to create a visceral reaction to a specific palette, a pattern, or the addition of a simple tree.
This collection describes for the viewer a structurally uncomplicated background reminiscent of the seventies, which allows the viewer to “see the forest”, without all the noise. The retro vibe is reminiscent, for me, of an easier, simpler time, and the minimal landscape allows the viewer to connect to the more organic nature of the tree. The singular trees, in a more organic presentation, allow the viewer to tap into the feelings of strength, peace and serenity that nature gives us. My work reflects a bold style of painting; colors that pop, texture that reaches out to you and beckons you to touch it; power in simplicity. The power of a singular tree.