Questions on Process
1. Your works on paper look like monotypes/monoprints. What is this media and how is it applied?
These pieces are each oil pastel on watercolor or printmaking paper. Each piece is drawn and the material is worked to create the different effects.
2. How are these pieces created?
Each piece is fabricated from memory and/or sketches, and is often not of a specific location. They are created in the studio and many are reminiscent of places I have travelled. The oil pastels are applied to the paper in layers, and worked by hand and with metal tools to create blended areas and line work. Occasionally much of the image is scraped away and started again.
3. What is the naming system?
Each piece in a series was numbered in the order that it was created. However, some pieces were reworked later, and therefore are not exactly in order.
4. Does this material dry like oil paint does?
No. This material stays workable for an indefinite amount of time. Each finished piece is presented under glass.
5. Is there any significance to the size of the work?
Yes. The smallest size was created to be reflective of old polaroid photos, only created by hand and relatively interpretive, rather than by direct capture with a camera.
6. How long does it take to create each piece?
The amount of time varies significantly between pieces. In rare cases, a work could have been completed in several hours. Usually however each piece requires sessions over several weeks or months to finish.
7. How do I know if I am reading the landscape as it was intended?
There is no correct way to view each piece, as they are all composites and also open to interpretation. Some people see fields, marshes, and harbors, where others see ships, cities, and deserts. It is very interesting to me to hear the various images that each piece conjures in the eyes and sensibilities of the viewer.