ABSTRACTION AND DESIGN

The basic premise of my work as an abstract painter is that the formal qualities of my work are just as important (if not more so) than its representational qualities. I spent my formative years as a textile designer for home furnishings, and fell in love with color and pattern for its own sake. I find that even when I have representational subject matter that inspires me, I approach it as though it is a pattern stripped of meaning other than the assembled colors and shapes. I am still intrigued with the problems of creating patterns that repeat, as in yardage for fabric or rolls of wallpaper. Some of these compositions were created with joins on the edges so that it could be reproduced as a repeat pattern. 

The other sensibility I carry over from my work as a home furnishings designer is that when a painting is created in the studio using watercolor or gouache on paper, the design is more important than the physical painting because it could be reproduced on the fabric or china, and can also change scale: I have enjoyed envisioning these as massive mosaic  or stained glass installations.

THINGS THAT FLY

These images were taken mostly from historical reference, and was part of a larger show called "Flying". It consisted of angels and birds, some airplanes, and some from a spiritual dimension.