The colors and forms of shells have inspired my painting for over twenty years. In particular, I am drawn to their contradictions: the humble yet polished jewel like beauty within the rough worm holed exterior, and the bleached bone starkness against the splash of rich color. For years, I was engrossed by them almost exclusively. I have pursued their forms as landscapes and in miniature, exploring the push and pull of representation and abstraction. I am compelled to blow up the palm sized treasures and cover walls with their soothing form.
This year I return again to shells in order to launch further into an exploration of line and shape. Still playing with scale, the abstracted shells paintings remind me of looking underwater. You aren’t quite sure exactly what you are seeing, but you feel it’s essence.
