My paintings and drawings are the result of a wrestling match between me and the canvas.
During this process I rework, erase, and even turn everything upside down to correct things, repaint and retry. One of the unexpected things that happens is that the lines and layers of the final image give it a history. Like layers of sediment building up over eons, then a comet hits and you see a big divot where they are revealed just under the service. Painting is like a whole bunch of comets landing.
If you look closely you might see evidence where a nose moved up on a face or a window in an interior exists behind what’s now a blank wall, or where a shadow behind an enigmatic figure looks an awful lot like it might have once been an angel’s wing.
This process gives the picture a kind of Past Life that makes it more interesting to look at. If you want to know the truth, this is how I play.
Here’s the result of a moment of truth in a recent collaboration.