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My work can be divided into three main activities:
portrait paintings, still life drawings and paintings of toys, and toy
sculptures. Although each is a separate endeavor, they are connected through
my interest in figuration and playthings.
The portraits do not attempt to render a particular subject, and are invented
purely from my imagination. They are explorations of the subtleties and
complexities of painting flesh, some verging on the abstract, while others
are representational and meticulously rendered. They are also psychological
studies, conveying the moods and states of mind of everyday people. The
portraits are tightly cropped to the face and have simplified backgrounds,
referencing religious icons or photographic headshots.
The composition of the still life drawings and paintings are more varied,
but show my continuing interest in portraiture, this time portraits of
found toys. I am drawn to the seductive nature of toys and their simplified
shapes and colors. I am also interested in the emotional attachment that
is formed with such inanimate objects, and how children give them personality
and life through imaginative play.
In the search to find unusual toys to paint-specifically those without
preexisting commercial appeal-I began to make my own. I carve, sand, and
paint them to look similar to manufactured or machine-made objects, while
retaining a certain hand-made quality. They appear somewhat familiar,
reminiscent of cartoons or comic books from childhood, yet they are entirely
new forms.
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