MONOTYPES:

Those who don’t already know will soon figure out that printing a monotype is an indirect way of painting. First, one paints on a plate and then transfers (prints) the image to the substrate of choice, which in my case is paper.

Why not paint directly on the paper? Transferring the image from plate to paper invites the unique and desirable effects of the process into the final piece. Such effects abound in my work as the printing is accomplished by hand methods without a mechanical press.

I work in isolation, but not alone. Both medium and process are partners. Each piece celebrates the partnership.

OILS:

Currently, oil is the medium of choice. The preferred substrate is hardboard as the bounce of the canvas draws attention to itself during painting and interrupts the flow of ideas. Paper has not lost its appeal, however; and many paintings are made on acid-free, gessoed watercolor paper or on acid-free printmaking paper.

I use both traditional oil paints and oil sticks. The size and shape of oil sticks provide a built-in freedom from fussiness and detail.

PHOTOGRAPHICS:

I use a digital camera and Photoshop for fun. The opportunities to explore texture, color, and image variations seem endless and are inviting. On those days when making a mess is unappealing, cleaning the studio or an adventure in Photoshop is the solution; and the choice is simple. Here you will see a series of street graphics.

The road has long served as a metaphor for life’s journey. The signs along the way are an indispensable artifact.

WATERMEDIA:

Loosely, if the media is soluble in water, it is watermedia-- whether transparent or opaque. There are camps who would disagree. Acrylic washes used to develop a painting in the style of traditional transparent watercolor would likely be considered a watercolor, but the same acrylic paints slathered on a canvas in the tradition of oil painting would not. For convenience, watermedia refers to the water soluble media used here-- watercolor, acrylics, raw pigment, and/or ink.

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