“Kings and Queens” is a series of acrylic paintings that are fun to look at. They are imbued with big color combinations and shapes that keep on enticing the eye and spirit. Once I have your attention, I give you something to think about--or to feel about. “Kings and Queens” is about relationships and treasuring each other, and also about being our best selves. As children we all wanted to be a king or a queen. The king and queen had it all: they loved each other, were patient and kind and fought fiercely for what they believed. They are symbols of our true selves--our best selves. In childhood, we knew that the king or queen goy be in charge. The king and queen got to make the rules and have a big feast and sit in a throne. As adults we sometimes need to be reminded that we still get to make the rules and have a big feast and sit in a throne in our own lives. It’s too bad we forget that so easily!
I love acrylic paints for their modern vividness. They are so immediate in their responsiveness to my hand and they dry so quickly. I can paint spontaneously with each drip and “oops” finding its way into the unfolding story. I always start with a basic idea (relationship, emotional baggage, tenderness, etc.) and a color scheme and let the creative process do the rest. Each painting has a miserable adolescence in which I realize (not always with much sensitivity) that the piece has to go its own way. From this point on I can only shepherd it to its resolution.
My influences are painters with whom I have only a few things in common: David Hockney, George McNeil, William Baziotes, and Paul Klee, to name a few. I love their images and artistic processes. I try to emulate parts of their works, like color or subject or overall artistic vibe, but I also try to make sure that I am painting with my own hand. In adolescence the goal of life is to be original. As we mature, the goal changes to being authentic. I want my paintings to be an authentic expression of my life. I hope you like them.