Reality with a Twist Statement

Creating art in the form of  realistic acrylic painting, and Serigraphs, is not only something that I want to do, it is something I need to do. While there is an element of whimsy and humor throughout my art, my inspiration often comes from an irritation, a little grain of sand that I ruminate over. Like an oyster I try to turn this irritant into a pearl, or in my case an artwork. I often deal with weighty topics such as climate change, social injustice or politics. I feel the need to explore and deal with topics that I am deeply concerned about. At other times I enjoy letting my sense of humor take over. I also deal with things I see or feel in my everyday life. A story from the news, exploring art from the past, a historic event, or an amusing anecdote. Any of these sources can move me esthetically and germinate into an idea. I call my style ‘Reality with a Twist’, because it is very realistic, but unlike anything you would ever see.

Once inspired I begin to research a topic, and explore whether I can work this ‘idea’ into an artistic composition. The people and animals in my art are like characters in a drama, each has a role to play. More significantly however, the final composition has to come together as an artwork. Through my art, I am able to share my realistic acrylic paintings, and hand pulled serigraphs with an audience, and expose them to my slightly cynical view of the world, injected whenever possible with a sense of humor. The satisfaction I get from completing a work of art is a necessary part of who I am.