Central to my oil paintings are the visceral elements of the natural world - the sea, the atmosphere and the earth - often presented in opposition to one another. These juxtapositions are much like the small Japanese gardens I used to design at the cider mill I lived in, with narrow passages flanked by rocks of various sizes casting spectacular shadows with the strong line of the Black Pine bending over and filtering light onto the garden below. These images linger in my memory as I sand and scratch away sections of the lush color I applied to the canvas.

The deconstructive process unearths textured origins and contrasts with smoothly painted surfaces.

I also incorporate beeswax to produce monoprints. Using a heated steel plate I dip handmade paper through the melting colored beeswax...the process also creates abundant texture but yields a more subdued presentation. I am endlessly and joyfully fascinated by the results of these processes.