I want a calm, simple existence - and believe when I create work that is true to this idea, it brings me closer to obtaining my goal.
I begin with an extended exercise in planning and engineering that allows me a near meditative existence in the studio, designing and constructing four to six inch maquettes until I reach a compositional conclusion worth realizing on a larger scale. Having an appreciation for historically romantic practices and materials, I begin a process of hand-stretching canvas using tacks. This is an older method that (even if the tacks are mostly unseen) is important to me. I believe that the meticulous effort that goes into each piece becomes evident in the overall feeling and reception of a completed work. Then, keeping in mind my strong desire for less, I combine materials in a manner that seeks aesthetic synthesis while allowing their inherent characteristics to remain in tact. Once this part of my process is complete, then only the most essential elements are added. Using wood, canvas, tacks, paint and leather, I create a finished sculpture meant to ground itself in its environment. The finished works do not produce distractions, but instead exist as dynamic objects of focus.