Formal elements are my first and foremost source of inspiration. I can be moved by a simple combination of color and line, or the relationships of shapes and edges, or the interplay between pattern and scale. I look at colors, textures and images out in the world as well: rocks, rust, surfaces affected by age, by marks of the human hand, by time and tides. But I also look at a lot of art in many mediums, and gorge myself on the infinite ways in which materials can be transformed into rich and expressive visual statements.
In my own art practice, focus on process is an essential component of developing work that feels authentic and personal. My process involves a back-and-forth play between spontaneous, intuitive mark-making, and careful deliberation and intention: I think of it asletting things happen, and making things happen. I make a move, and then the painting reveals something new to respond to. Each move changes the whole piece and sets up a new set of challenges. It takes practice and continued effort to stay present to this dialog and not get carried away by the desire for a quick result or an easy resolution. It requires trust in my own intuitive responses, and a willingness to not-know, to not have the route laid out like a road map.
