Process Statement

Like many painters, my process unfolds as an ongoing conversation between material and intention. A painting can shift without warning and take on a life I did not anticipate, and The Truth of Heretics is no exception. While painting, I follow a steady line of inquiry, but its final form emerges through cycles of attempt and release. In that dynamism I encounter possibilities that exceed my own intention and allow the work to lead the way. As a contemplative abstract painter, I am inspired by the teachings of various mystics. A simple phrase ignites a spark of inspiration and becomes a small flame I carry throughout the creative process. Painting is a wordless meditation, a spiritual practice in which I move the text through my hands and body until color and gesture transmute an inner recognition into an outward resonance. The painting of The Truth of Heretics began with a broad, spacious color field to support my emotional register of the text. From there I introduced text and symbols, some intentional and others spontaneous responses to the materials. Over several weeks the painting advanced through cycles of addition and subtraction until the conversation between gesture and intention resolved into a form that felt unmistakably complete.