My latest painting (Oasis) is inspired by the idea of calm in the middle of confusion. I sometimes find myself in a whirlwind of thoughts about the world and about myself, and when that happens, I find a place of peace in my studio and in the work that I am doing.
A big part of my process as an artist is the idea of spreading a feeling of peace and calm through my painting. Often what I am looking for is not necessarily the visual surface of the work but the underlying emotion that is communicated.
To support this goal, I spend a lot of time in nature and use practices like yoga and meditation to move beyond the surface experience. As much as I may enjoy seeing a dystopian work of art in a gallery, I have never felt the desire to purchase such a work and live with it. I like to surround myself with beauty and tranquillity and try and create artworks that support this notion.
In the end, I really appreciate when a collector talks to me about the feeling they receive from the painting. This is as important to me as the composition. Beyond the existential challenge of the human condition, there are genuine experiences of peace and harmony, and we can all appreciate the need for more of these feelings in our lives.
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