Prickly Pear Bloom

Artist statement
"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free" -Michelangelo

I don't necessarily see the angel in the canvas, rather I feel it. Finding most of my creative flow within the wildlife genera, I developed a way to sculpt, define, and build volume with paint, layer by layer to create a beautiful play of light and shadow, filled with unexpected colors side by side. It's a dance, a push and pull until the form becomes whole. I find my wildlife subjects to have soulful eyes, and once I become mesmerized, the painting is complete. There is a large zen element in my approach to painting. Each time I step up to my canvas to paint, I step up as I am in the moment, what I painted yesterday does not matter. I learn to connect and to flow with what I am painting in the moment, yet am still able to be objective. It enables me to push the boundaries of what is possible with layers, color, texture, brush movement, and size. I find such a sense of peace in my creative pursuits; art is a way of life.