Painting, for me, is about the moment at which brush first touches canvas. Painting becomes almost a meditation, the movement of the brush akin to a mantra. In this way it is very personal and temporal This also links me to the Abstract expressionists in that the painting is of and about itself. While occasionally something may be eluded to in the painting, the colors used, or the title, the paintings exist only as a record of the act of creating the painting. For many of the same reasons, my paintings are not planned: no sketches or drawings are made so that the painting experience can be as "pure" as possible. I at times even stretch multiple canvases at once to avoid consciously composing the picture beforehand. [MORE...]